Pingvecula

Pingvecula is a benign formation that appears in the area of ​​contact of the cornea with the conjunctiva. Serious danger this disease does not represent, but still requires treatment.

About what the pingvecula is and how it is treated, we will describe in detail in this article.

What it is

As already mentioned, pingvecula is a benign (build-up) of yellow or white color.Usually, it appears at the top of the cornea from the side of the nose.

In most cases, pinguecula affects both eyes and proceeds without any symptoms.

This build-up appears due to the fact that the body receives an excessive amount of protein and fat.Usually it occurs in elderly people. Since this benign formation grows slowly enough, or does not grow at all, then treatment is required in extremely rare cases.Sometimes pingvecula can become inflamed and go into pingveculitis, with dryness, discomfort and irritation of the eyes.

Causes

Until now, specialists can not pinpoint the causes of the appearance of pingvecula.It is assumed that this disease provokes such factors as dust, smoke, wind, intense and long-term exposure to ultraviolet and infrared radiation.Heat and dry climate are also the causes of pingvecula development.

Some believe that pingvecula can appear due to prolonged use of contact lenses, but this is not true.

A benign growth builds up when the physiological aging of the conjunctiva occurs, so it is so common in the elderly.

How to use long-wearing contact lenses correctly read here.

Symptoms

The main symptom of this disease is the formation of a build-up of a yellowish white color on the conjunctiva. It is visible to the naked eye.

Much less common are other symptoms.They are completely unintelligible.But in the case of pingveculitis (inflammation of the build-up), there are such signs as:

1. Redness(hyperemia) of the damaged area of ​​the eye.
2. The appearance of dryness, the development of dry eye syndrome.
3. Sensation of getting into the eye of a foreign body.
4. The appearance of swelling of benign education.
5. When you blink, you get a feeling of irritation and scratching.

In the event that there is severe discomfort and pain, you should immediately go to see an ophthalmologist, in order not to aggravate the situation.

Diagnostics

For the diagnosis of pingvecula, no laboratory tests are required.The ophthalmologist can easily determine the presence of a benign education with the help of standard methods of ophthalmoscopy or examination of the conjunctiva.

For a more detailed examination of the pingvecula, a specialist can use a slit lamp (biomicroscopy). And what is biomicroscopy will tell this material.

Treatment

There are various methods of treating pingvecula. They are selected depending on the characteristics of the patient's body.

Conservative treatment

Conservative treatment with medications is used in most cases, and it is necessary to eliminate dry eyes.Therefore, in this case, the doctor can prescribe such eye drops as an Artificial Tear or Oxial.

Both types of droplets have a moisturizing and softening effect due to the fact that they contain boric acid.Therefore, these drugs do not have an irritant effect and do not cause allergic reactions.

In the presence of edema pingvecula, or if it is inflamed, prescribe antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of eye drops, for example, Diclofenac or Maxitrol.These drops can be used as a prophylaxis of the transition of infection to a conjunctiva.

In order to choose the right anti-inflammatory drugs, see this article.

If there is irritation of pingvecula, then it is necessary to take a very responsible approach to its treatment, namely, it is necessary to give up contact lenses, so that there is no excessive effect on the cornea.

Laser treatment

Treatment of pingvecula with a laser is necessary in case it disturbs the patient with unpleasant and painful sensations, or if a person wants to eliminate this cosmetic defect.Laser surgery is quick and completely painless. After this, a person will have to vomit a bandage for a while.Recovery after laser removal of pinguecula takes approximately one month. Do not be afraid of the appearance at this time of redness, as they will eventually disappear.

Treatment with folk remedies

Folk remedies can not help completely get rid of pingvecula, but they have a restorative effect.

Some effective recipes:

1. Compress from blueberry juice.It is necessary to take a few fresh berries and squeeze out the juice from them. Wet a cotton swab in blueberry juice and apply it to the affected eye for fifteen minutes.
2. Compress from beet tops.Grind the tops and attach it to the eye. In addition, you can use 100 grams of beet every day in the morning on an empty stomach.
3. The use of blueberries.Fresh berries can be eaten with sugar, and dried need to pour warm water and insist thirty minutes. You need to consume berries on an empty stomach for one hundred grams.

Complications

Since pingvecula is a benign entity, the prognosis for eye health is positive.But if you start this disease and do not treat it at all, then a pterygium may appear. Pterygium is a pterygoid fovea or conjunctival outgrowth that has migrated to the cornea.In this case, a person can not normally see.

Unfortunately, even after laser surgery, a relapse may occur. This is a fairly common phenomenon, and the benign growth grows even faster and has larger dimensions.To avoid this, experts advise after the operation to wear glasses that protect the eyes from ultraviolet radiation.

How to treat the pterygium see this link.

Prevention

Experts give useful recommendations, which will serve as a good preventive measure of eye protection from pingvecula. These are very simple rules:

1. It is necessary to wear sunglasses, which have a high degree of protection against ultraviolet radiation.
2. It is necessary to shorten the time in a bright hot sun and protect yourself with a hat with wide margins.
3. It is recommended to spend less time in dusty and smoky rooms.
4. If necessary, you can use moisturizing eye drops, for example Artificial tear.
5. To strengthen the vessels of the eyes and maintain their healthy state, it is necessary to take once or twice a year a variety of multivitamin complexes or preparations containing blueberries.
6. You can include raw beets and blueberries in your diet.

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conclusions

Do not be afraid of such a benign education as pingvecula. It does not adversely affect the health of the eye, unlike other eye diseases. But still pingvecula is a cosmetic defect, so it's better to get rid of it.

It should be remembered that if pingvecula is accompanied by painful sensations and discomfort, then it is necessary to visit an ophthalmologist. Only a specialist will be able to select the right treatment for a speedy recovery.

All you need to know about sunglasses with diopters look here.