"What are those yellow spots on my eyes..? 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Friday)

Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York

( A suburb of Buffalo, N.Y.)

 and has worked in the ophthalmology

 field of medicine for nearly 40 years

What are those yellow spots on my eyes

Many patients come into our office for a routine eye examination  and  have noticed a “finding” on their eyes.

  They notice a painless raised area on either side of their iris (the colored part) and want some answers.

More so, in hot climates  in the world especially near the equator,  people are more prone to  developing what are called "pinguecula".

 The small raised yellowish areas that develop on the white part of the eye,  the sclera , are caused from UV and sun exposure.   Also people that spend a great deal of time in the sun without eye protection,  may develop the same findings.   

Pinguecula  by themselves, are not dangerous and if bothersome, may be removed.  They can become enlarged and irritated at times and may  become  unsightly.  They do  not carry   a   serious  diagnosis and can be treated with prescription eye drops to calm them if red and irritated.

If removed surgically, the eye will be sore for a short time and can be soothed with drops.  The surgical procedure is usually done in an out patient setting  under a local anesthetic. 

The growths  may return some day, especially if one returns to worshiping the sun again.  

Hana Hou, (Encore)