If you have an eye condition that is affecting your quality of life, Dr. Patel at Wichita Vision Institute in Wichita, KS, is ready to offer extensive experience, knowledge, and compassion to help resolve the issue. One of the problems we can treat here includes pterygiums. Today we are going to cover some common questions surrounding pterygium treatment.
Will a Pterygium Go Away on Its Own?
Understanding Your Options
A pterygium, also known as “surfer’s eye,” is very unlikely to resolve on its own. There are several pterygium treatment options, and finding the right one depends on the severity of your condition, and your unique needs and goals.
If you have a small pterygium, you may be able to manage it with ointments and topical medicines that can reduce redness and swelling. This can decrease the appearance and size of the pterygium and make you more comfortable. Surgery may be the right option if your pterygium is consistently becoming inflamed or infected, or if it’s interfering with your comfort or vision.
What We Can Do
After you receive an eye assessment, Dr. Patel can offer insight into the right type of treatment for you. If you choose to move forward with surgery, this can be done on an outpatient basis. Dr. Patel can employ cutting-edge technology to help reduce the chance of your pterygium coming back.
If you have any questions about the process, feel free to ask them during your consultation. Once we get a good look at your condition, that will help Dr. Patel give you personalized advice and talk you through your options.
What Are the Benefits of Pterygium Treatment?
Improve Appearance
The eyes are often called the window to the soul. Making eye contact is a common way for people to connect with each other in personal and professional settings. Having something that affects the appearance of the eye can also affect a patient’s self-confidence. If you find yourself avoiding eye contact due to your pterygium, or just want to feel better about the appearance of your eyes, that’s a perfectly valid reason to seek out treatment.
We want our patients to have healthy, functional eyes, but we also want them to feel their very best. This treatment can help improve the lives of patients who are trying to hide their condition or are upset about their eye’s appearance.
Reduce Irritation
Even if you can still see with your surfer’s eye, you may be experiencing irritation and discomfort. That doesn’t have to become your new normal. We have various ways we can improve your comfort levels, which can help you not be constantly distracted by an itching, sore, or uncomfortable eye.
Improve Vision
If left untreated, this condition can lead to astigmatism, which can cause blurred or distorted vision. This is due to the fact that a surfer’s eye can alter how much of your lens or cornea is able to function, which puts your vision “out of focus.” If your astigmatism is caused by a pterygium, treating the root of the issue should resolve the astigmatism.
Signs of Astigmatism
Aside from blurred or warped vision, there are some other symptoms that could indicate you have or are developing astigmatism. You may find yourself squinting to focus your sight more often than you used to. You may also find that your eyes feel more strained and tired than normal, or that your eyesight at night is getting progressively worse.
The best way to diagnose astigmatism is to come in for a dilated eye examination. While you may want to consider surgically or topically treating the root of the issue, some patients with mild astigmatism may also find that adjusting their lens prescription could help.
Wear Contacts
A pterygium can make the affected eye sore and irritated, and adding contacts into the mix is often too uncomfortable. In addition, if the pterygium has progressed enough, you may not even be able to properly fit your contact onto your eye.
The Benefits of Contacts
For patients who have enjoyed the convenience of contacts for years, losing the ability to wear them may be an upsetting transition. With contacts, you don’t have to worry about setting down your glasses while at work and losing them, or walking into a warm building and having your glasses fog up. Some patients also prefer the aesthetic of wearing contacts instead of glasses.
Contacts also tend to offer more natural vision, since they move with your eye and there’s no lens to block your range of sight. For patients who play sports, wearing contacts means they don’t have to worry about breaking their glasses or losing them mid-game.
FAQ About Pterygium Treatment
1. What Symptoms Can a Pterygium Cause?
A pterygium develops in a triangle shape. This deposit can be composed of protein, blood vessels, calcium, and fat. It often extends from the caruncle, that thin tissue on the corner of your eye that’s closest to your nose. As it grows, it can spread over the cornea and make its way toward the pupil. It can affect just one eye, or both of them.
Depending on how large the growth is, it can be a minor annoyance or a major problem. It can cause redness, infection, dry eyes, itching, a gritty feeling like there’s something in your eye, or blurred vision.
2. Are Pterygiums Different Than a Pinguecula?
While similar, there are some differences between these two conditions. Both are growths that can spread over the whites of the eyes, but a pinguecula usually presents as a yellow bump, and can appear almost anywhere on the conjunctiva, while a pterygium will usually be pink and spread from the corner of the eye. That said, in some cases, a pterygium can actually develop out of a pinguecula.
3. Can I Do Anything To Prevent Pterygiums?
If you either want to prevent developing surfer’s eye, want to slow down the current development of your condition, or hope to avoid a pterygium from coming back after surgery, there are several things you can do to protect your eyes.
Wear Sunglasses
Sunglasses that block ultraviolet light could help lower your risk of developing pterygium, or of the condition worsening if you already have it. As an added bonus, sunglasses come in all shapes and sizes, making them a fun accessory for almost any outfit.
Wear a Hat
Hats are a great tool to help protect your eyes from the sun. While wearing a hat and sunglasses is ideal, a hat can be helpful for patients with glasses that don’t want to swap out their prescription glasses for sunglasses, as that may sacrifice their ability to see clearly.
A wide-brimmed hat is ideal, and there are hats made of material that can block both UVA and UVB to offer better protection. Even on cloudy days, it’s recommended you protect your eyes from harmful rays. If the hat is able to block enough UV light, it can even help protect you against skin damage.
Use Artificial Tears
If you live in a dry climate, you can help support healthy eye function through the use of artificial tears. Keeping your eyes healthy can help prevent eye disease, and will help keep your eyes comfortable.
Watch for Dust
Keep irritating dust out of your eyes by wearing glasses or goggles in dusty or windy climates. Keeping dust away can also help protect your eyes from painful scratches.
4. What Causes a Pterygium?
The exact cause of this condition isn’t known, but patients who spend a lot of time in the sun and wind seem to be more likely to develop a pterygium. For that reason, protecting your eyes from wind and UV rays is considered a preventative measure against pterygiums.
5. How Are Pterygiums Different From Cataracts?
A pterygium occurs when the conjunctiva tissue overgrows and spreads. It’s often thick enough to look and feel raised. Meanwhile, cataracts are positioned behind your iris and involve a clouding of the lens. This can change how the lens is able to function, both in how much information it gathers and its ability to focus.
6. Can a Pterygium Make Me Blind?
If it is left to develop long enough, it can affect your vision by blocking your pupil. While uncommon, in some cases it can actually scar the cornea. If this is true for you, a minor scar can be addressed. However, severe scars can lead to blindness. That said, while it’s technically possible, it’s not likely that your pterygium will make you blind. It’s more likely to cause blurred vision than true blindness.
We Can Help With Your Pterygium Treatment
The best way to consider your treatment options is to talk to an experienced professional. Reach out today to Wichita Vision Institute in Wichita, KS, to set up your consultation with Dr. Patel and get yourself one step closer to clear, healthy eyes.
I Can See Clearly Now
by Don Burrows
Category: cataract surgeryDr. Patel saved my wife’s vision and mine too. I now live 770 miles from her office and would still make the trip, even if it required a cross-country trip.
I highly recommend Dr. Patel
by Jim Guhl
Category: cataract surgeryDr. Patel is a physician whose sincere goal is to improve the quality of life for her patients. When I first became a patient under Dr. Patel’s care, I was diagnosed with cataracts in both of my eyes; dry eye syndrome; and astigmatism. Previous records from my Lasik surgery, which occurred 17 years ago, were no longer available. The Lasik surgery documentation was important in determining the exact corrections that now needed to be made to properly correct my astigmatism. Dr. Patel wisely recommended I postpone the cataract removal and astigmatism correction procedure, until she received newly developed diagnostic equipment. This newly developed technology would provide her with the most accurate metrics possible. New specialized lens implants were also becoming available, which would correct my astigmatism. Dr. Patel explained my chances for a successful outcome would be significantly increased if I would be patient and wait a little longer. Dr. Patel is truly a physician with high integrity and would never perform surgery until she knew it was the right time. She truly cares about providing her patients with the best care she can. Dr. Patel successfully treated my dry eye symptoms with a regiment of eye drops, cleansing techniques and vitamins, which prevented me from requiring more extensive - and more expensive treatment. Prior to the surgery on my right eye, she provided me with sample eye drops from her office and coupons for the eye drops I would need to purchase after my surgery. She did all she could to reduce my expenses. During preparations for right eye surgery, Dr. Patel spent quality time with me explaining the results of my pre-surgery testing and asking questions to determine my vision goals. One of my desires was to once again see the front sight on a pistol. I thoroughly enjoyed going to the firing range, but due to the cataract in my right eye I could no longer see the sights, on my pistol. Although the cataract in my left eye was not as bad yet – I was also experiencing difficulty seeing and firing left handed. Using a blue gun (authentic plastic replica of a Sig P229 pistol), Dr. Patel took additional measurements which she used in determining the correct lens to implant, during my surgery. My right eye surgery took place on November 1, 2017. Two days after the surgery, I happened to glance at my mobile phone and for the first time in 10 years or more, I could read the information on the screen without glasses. I pulled the Sig out of its case and – wow! – The sight picture was there clear as a bell. So the right eye cataract is gone along with the rainbow halos around cars at night and the astigmatism has been corrected better than I dreamed possible. Quality of life restored! The process included the latest diagnostic equipment; the newest technology in an intraocular lens implant; and the use of a laser surgery technique performed by Dr. Patel. Sadly, insurance does not cover much of the cost for the process that produces the optimal results. When it comes to the long term correction of your vision and significant increase in the quality of life it is well worth the investment. Dr. Patel is a very accomplished and highly competent physician and surgeon. I will be forever grateful to her for restoring my vision. I highly recommend Dr. Patel. Jim Guhl Wichita, KS November 13, 2017
In Good Hands
by Luke F.
Category: lasik surgeryTalk about a life changing surgery!!! From the consultation to the surgery I knew I was in good hands. I would recommend WVI to anyone who is considering LASIK. Thanks WVI!
Life Changing!
by Ashley J.
Category: lasik surgeryI love Dr. Patel! After having my dreams crushed at another place when they told me I wasn't a candidate, I went to Dr Patel for a lasik consultation. She is very thorough and gave me information about my eyes that no doctor in almost 20 years has told me. A week ago I had Lasik and it has been life changing! I couldn't be happier and I'm so glad I chose Dr Patel. She truly cares about her patients and her passion shows. The wait time can be very long, but if you are prepared for that ahead of time, you won't be disappointed once you see the doctor. I'm recommending WVI to everyone I know. She is now the only doctor I trust for my eyes.
Impressed with Dr. Patel and Staff
by William D.
Category: cataract surgeryI first saw Dr. Patel about 6 years ago when my left eye wandered to the left side and stayed there. She sent me to the Dean McGee Eye Institute in Oklahoma City for further evaluation. No reason was ever found as to why it did that but it corrected itself after about two months. Since then I have been seeing Dr. Patel regularly. I damaged the left eye in an accident and had to have a vitrectomy performed. She referred me to another specialist Dr. Paul Weishaar and that outcome was also great. The eye did develop a cataract and she performed that surgery a few months ago and suggested a plan for treating dry eyes. It was outstanding and since wearing glasses for over 50 years, I now just wear sunglasses. Simply amazing. Dr. Patel and her staff are the greatest and they know other great professionals if the need arises. They also do charity work and they are all a total blessing to me. I would not even consider going anywhere else. Just gotta love them.
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