Sun Damage / Pterygium

sun damage at the beachWestern Australia is synonymous with having beautiful and sunny weather where we enjoy going outdoors to garden, to the beach, to the park, or venturing out to the great outdoors. If we do not take care of our eyes, it is possible for a growth of blood vessels and scar tissue, also known as a pterygium, to grow on the surface of your eye due to sun damage.

It is best to catch this early before the pterygium continues to grow as it can actually cause a number of irritating symptoms including:

  • Distortion of the eye’s surface
  • Irritation
  • Inflammation
  • Blurred vision
  • Preventing light from entering the eye

Treatments vary and are dependent on the amount of the sun damage to your eye. At Murdoch Ophthalmology, we will diagnose the stage of your pterygium growth in order to correctly treat your condition.

Some treatments may include wearing good quality wrap-around sunglasses, eye drops, and increasing your daily vitamin and mineral intake in order to stabilise its growth. However surgery may also be required to replace your ocular surface tissue.