by THOMAS HEGLAND, O.D.
I have friends and strangers state, “I have perfect 20/20 vision without glasses or contacts, why do I need a regular eye exam?” Our exams can discover other issues besides the condition of your vision. Beginning, from front to back, with the eyelids. Florida sunshine can have a very detrimental effect on the skin of the lids. There is no subcutaneous fat beneath the lid skin, making it the thinnest skin on the body. Years of Ultraviolet (UV) exposure from the sun can result in skin cancer. Sunscreen can be difficult to use around the eyes causing stinging, burning and red irritated tissue. Solution? In a word, sunglasses. Not just for fashion, but with quality UV blocking lenses all of the time when out of doors beginning at the youngest possible age.
Going past the lids to the conjunctiva, the clear tissue covering the white of your eye, other tissue issues can arise. A very common noncancerous yellowish conjunctival growth is a pinguecula. It is a degeneration that appears as an elevated yellow plaque to the side of the cornea, caused by chronic exposure to UV and irritation (such as the edge of a contact lens). It is a deposit of any combination of fat, protein, and calcium that can contribute to the symptoms of dry eye. Next on our list of UV related anomalies is a pterygium. The difference between this and the pinguecula is the tendency of the pterygium to grow onto or across the cornea. It may be raised and contain blood vessels which are not present in a normal cornea, it can affect the vision if extensive.
Cancer can also occur inside the eye. A benign nevus (some say freckle) in a layer called the choroid can convert into a malignant melanoma. Tumors from other locations in the body can also spread and be discovered in the course of a routine eye exam. In my time in practice, I have found through an eye exam, lung cancer and breast cancer tumors not previously diagnosed before the patient’s eye exam.
An eye that sees 20/20 is but the beginning of a journey into good ocular health and overall general well-being. Call us at 800-282-3937 or visit us online at EYESFL.COM to schedule an appointment.
This column is sponsored by Eye Specialists of Mid-Florida, and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFHN or of its advertisers.
Dr. Thomas Hegland is a board-certified optometrist who sees patients at the Sebring location for Eye Specialists of Mid-Florida. He specializes in primary care optometry, contact lenses, dry eye, and post-operative care. He is accepting new patients.