Eye Know: 3 Ways to Protect your Eyes from Pterygium

Your sense of sight plays a vital role in everything you do. Having healthy eyesight impacts your performance in every task that can lead to a better quality of life.  But the question remains: How well do you know about the health of your eyes? Millions of people today suffer from eye problems every year, one of these issues can be pterygium.

Pterygium causes serious discomfort to your eyes; it can also lead to severe scarring of your cornea that can cause loss of sight. Don’t fret as there are ways to prevent this illness. Before we discuss the ways of protecting our eyes, let us first know what pterygium is.

What is Pterygium?

Pterygium is a growth of fleshy tissue that covers the white part of your eye; it can remain small or grow large enough to cover the cornea of your eyes that can lead to blindness if not prevented. The plural form of pterygium is pterygia.

Symptoms of pterygium might include; redness, blurred vision, and eye irritation. There is no exact cause why pterygium occurs. Researchers believe that the primary reason for the development of pterygium is UV Light or Ultraviolet light from the sun, dry eyes and too much exposure to dust, wind, and sand.

You might take pterygium for granted as it doesn’t instantly affect your vision in its early stages. But it is better to prevent it to avoid further damage to your eyesight. Here are some ways to help prevent growth pterygium.

Wear Protective Sunglasses

Ultraviolet light from the sun can damage not only your skin but as well as your eyes. It can cause damage to the lens, retina, iris, eyelids, and cornea of your eyes. For this reason, you need to have protective sunglasses not only to look stylish but to prevent eye problems such as pterygium.

Health advisors recommend that the best time to wear sunglasses outdoors is between 10 am to 4 pm due to the rays of the sun being stronger at this time. Sunglasses are also vital to snowboarders and surfers as the reflection of the sun to snow and water is magnified, therefore causing severe damage to your eyes.

When purchasing protective sunglasses, make sure to consider the label and quality. The price of the glasses doesn’t always indicate good quality. That is why you need to check and ask a qualified optician if the sunglasses you’re buying provides 99-100% protection for UV lights to prevent pterygium.  You can also look for protective sunglasses in sites like Deal Wiki.

Use Sun Protective Hats

Another way to prevent pterygium is by using sun protective hats. Like sunglasses, hats can also protect our eyes from direct sunlight that contains ultraviolet lights. There are many types of hats, but Broad-brimmed, Bucket, and Legionnaire hats are preferred. These kinds of hats provide the right shade to the face, back of the neck, ears and especially the eyes.

Using hats does not limit to any age. There are a lot of recommended brim width measurements for all ages. Given this, early prevention of pterygium development is initiated. You can choose a hat for your young children considering the size, comfort, and the amount of shade it provides to protect their eyes.

Avoid Too Much Exposure to Dust, Sand, and Wind

People who work outdoors are the most vulnerable for pterygium because they are at an increased risk of exposure to dust, wind, and sand. Dust and sand can get into your eyes that can cause eye irritation and possibly rupture of sensitive parts in the eye.

Dirt and sand can be the cause of pterygium. For this reason, it is better to avoid dusty places or use protective goggles when working outside. You may not consider wind as a risk to your eyes, but the cold seasonal wind can cause damage to your eyes.

Too much exposure to this can lead to dry eye. Dry eye is a condition when the body does not make the proper volume of tears. It can irritate and make your eyes red. So, avoid the cold dry air from hitting your eyes. Moisture eyeglasses can also be an excellent alternative.

Takeaway

For us humans, the eyes are considered the most vital regarding usage in all the sense organs. With just three simple ways such as using hats and eyewear, avoiding extreme exposures, and living a healthy lifestyle, a person entirely avoids pterygium and other illnesses in the long run.