#pinguecula

“Would you like transition lenses?”

Every time I go to the optometrist to get new glasses I get asked this question and every time I would respond, “No, thank you.” But after 10 years of declining, I finally relented this past visit and said, “Yes.”

This isn’t my first time getting transition lenses. 10 years ago, when I first was prescribed glasses, I also agreed. It seemed like a good idea at the time: the ability to see things both inside and outside despite having high astigmatism.

Unfortunately, I found transition lenses to be more inconvenient than helpful. While they transitioned into sunglasses quickly enough when I stepped outside, it could take almost a half-hour for them to revert back to eyeglasses after coming back inside. I always felt awkward presenting in meetings after lunch while my glasses were halfway between sunglasses and eyeglasses. I also found that there were certain times where it was dark outside but UV rays were still present, which would again cause my lenses to tint.

Overall, they made me feel self-conscious so when it was time to get a new pair of glasses, I opted to pass on transition lenses. I’d always hear how the technology was getting better, but I found a better solution: I would get both prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses. Problem solved, right?

Well, yes and no. While it was great to have normal eyewear for indoor settings and sunglasses for outdoors, I found two issues to this new approach. First, it’s expensive to invest in both eyeglasses and sunglasses. Not only do you have to purchase two sets of frames, but every time your prescription is updated, you now have two sets of lenses to update. However, vision insurance typically only covers one set of lenses per calendar year so every year I would alternate what lenses got updated, which meant always having a mismatched set of prescription eyewear.

Second, owning eyeglasses and sunglasses also means having to carry one while wearing the other. While this might seem like a trivial inconvenience, for someone who loses things a lot like myself, it means an increased opportunity to lose a pair, which I have unfortunately done on a few occasions.

In the end, I found myself not wearing sunglasses a lot. My mom would often call and tell me that I should wear my sunglasses more, but I’m a grown adult, right?

Wrong. Always listen to your mother. On one of my latest visits to my optometrist, I was told I had developed an ocular condition called pterygium, which is also sometimes called “Surfer’s Eye.” The condition is relatively harmless and starts off as a small growth called a pinguecula, which develops when the eye is exposed to wind and UV rays. The pinguecula will continue to grow to protect the eye from UV rays where it will eventually enter the iris and try to cover your pupil, thus turning into a pterygium. Surfers often develop this condition due to their exposure to the sun while surfing. Shamefully, I am not a cool surfer but just a lazy guy who didn’t like to carry around sunglasses.

Unfortunately, a pterygium is not curable. The only thing you can do is wear sunglasses to prevent additional UV exposure to your eye to stop the growth from growing, which brings me back to the optometrist and my decision to get transition lenses.

Originally, I was planning on updating the prescription on an old pair of sunglasses when I saw a photo of my friend Peter on Instagram. I enjoyed his whole outfit but was really drawn to his glasses, which I thought had smoked lenses. It was to my surprise to discover that they were actually transition lenses. Inspired (or I suppose I should say influenced) by this photo, I decided to give transition lenses another go.

Tips for transition lenses

I think the biggest trick to pulling off transition lenses is that you want to choose a frame that would make a good pair of sunglasses rather than optical. I’ve noticed that people tend to pick bigger and bolder frames for sunglasses compared to what they would use for eyeglasses. For my choice, I went with a pair of Molino 55s in Havana from Jacques Marie Mage. I’m a fan of “wayfarer” type frames and opted for the Havana color scheme to take a break from my usual choice in black eyewear.

And surprise! The optometrist was right. Transition technology has gotten a lot better in the past 10 years. In fact, I was surprised at how fast my lenses transitioned from sunglasses to eyeglasses that it took me several attempts to take the sunglass photo you see above.

What are Pinguecula and Pterygium and How to Treat Them?

What is Pinguecula?

A pinguecula is an excessive growth of fleshy tissue on the white part of your eye, which is called the conjunctiva. It often looks like a yellow spot or bump on the white part of the eye.

 As dear Redaction am asking you ,that half year ago is on my eye displayed a yellow spot and not remove as not grow, hurt, and not decrease,as for me eye call out, as looking not beautiful, am interesting in laser cure,a how to fight his and what is it? Am sure ,that am not as alone with this problem.

A data cosmetic problem is a not rare in women after 50 y.old as living on south ,as they are ophthalmologist visiting  with a complaints on a forming in eye is pinguecula as yellow grow is on the mucus membrane an eye as slightly rising over eye top. As of south climate as dry air,hot sun, hot winds and sand storms a conjunctiva as thin transparent tissue covering for eyes from externally is an often affecting as aggressive   outside and of affecting this a her surface changing and ultraviolet an often affecting on eyes,causing dystrophic changes in cells.

As who working on a harmful factory, as with dust, high temperatures, toxic steams, chemistry,gases, factory substances are also affecting. As who carry soft lenses as wrong selected.

As this disease worries as of cosmetic problem,as she is clear visible ,and like cyst is on the vision top.

As he is not dangerous as not affecting on vision and not reborn to tumour.

And sometimes he is inflaming as causing redness eye and secretions displaying if infection entering,and rare displaying dry eye symptoms, but on an affecting harmful factors she reborn in pterygium  as growing a conjunctiva of eyeball is on the cornea and this is a risk for vision bad as if lead a central part for cornea,so as he is showing creeping wrinkle for conjunctiva,which transferring sun rays into eye.

And cure here as if development a inflammation process or in eye discomfort. As conservative therapy  as drops prescribing anti bacterial preparations as cipromed, tobrex, vigamox, glucocorticosteroids as dexamethason, maxidex and or NSAID  as diclofenac, indocollir, nevanac and artifical changes for tear as systein, oftolic, oxial, chilo comod and in depending from a condition  heaviness are these remedies as prescribing on the short courses or long as 2 weeks ,1/2 months as courses by in a regime for dripping for 3 times a day,and select concrete remedies is better trust for specialist as avoiding are bad results as allergy reactions.

Also are good herbal remedies as antiseptic dripping in conjunctiva cavity are 3 times a day infusion of chamomile, bark oak, one tea.sp. of tea infusion,and course a cure is depends from a reaction,but a here side effects are allergy. As theirs long use till a full removing a subjective discomfort in eye.

And in positive dynamic absences,thus visit a doctor for a remedies, surgery scheme curing.

A surgery as a remove for pathology  is using is growing faster a conjunctiva tumour on a cornea, as inflammation lead in chronic course,hard curing with remedies, as not ability to carry soft contact lenses as of irritation often and discomfort, and cosmetic things,when professional activity suffers of bad eyes look ,as actors,  speakers, teachers.

As remove a pinguecula with a surgery knife or with excimer laser with a local analgesic,as all surgeries ambulatory as and this are 30 minutes doing and not staying at stationary. As after surgery within a week just dripping in eyes are anti inflamed or anti bacterial remedies as by prescription surgeries.And disease not recidiving,as and individual cases just in not quality surgery done, or affecting pathogenic external factors are sun rays, dust,radiation, and etc.

As to avoid this pathology ,as if you are in risk group, thus a base preventing or minimizing a harmful affect on eye are external factors of wear sun glasses, as in a town or climate with a sun abundant.

And using remedies for tear changing as in dry eye as oftolic, vizmed, oxial, artelac.

As right select and right keep for principles a carry for contact lens.

Regular gymnastic vision for preventing are stagnant appearances in eyes. 

Regular  as every year oculist check in.

By Amhanitskaja, ophthalmologist M.D.