Outdoor Caution

Outdoor enthusiasts know that it is important to wear sunglasses that protect the eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Sailors, golfers, and other outdoor enthusiasts should also know that wraparound sunglasses help protect the eyes from developing a non-cancerous growth that often occurs among those who spend excessive amounts of time in sunny, sandy, dusty, windblown areas. A ‘’pterygium’’ is a raised triangular growth of abnormal tissue that forms on the thin tissue (conjunctiva) that covers the white part of the eye, most commonly on the nasal side. While no treatment is usually necessary, a developing pterygium may block vision and even alter the shape of the cornea to cause astigmatism. If so, it should be surgically removed.