Also referred to as pingueculae or pterygia, this degenerative eye disease is customarily regarded by the medical community as merely a cosmetic issue and treatment is relegated to OTC moisturizing eye drops with the occasional dispensation of a prescription eye lubricant such as Pataday. For people who suffer from this disease of the conjunctiva, however, this is far more than cosmetic. It interferes with normal daily life, it can be the reason they lose a job, and socializing and dating can become far more anxiety provoking than fun. There also is some degree of confusion among ophthalmologists when attempting to identify and diagnose this degenerative eye disease.

So, What Is A Pinguecula or Pingueculae

Simply put, the pinquecula is a yellow lump on the conjunctiva (the white part of the eye). When inflamed or irritated, it appears reddish. A pinguecuela can occur at the inner or outer corners of the eye. According to medical literature, it tends to occur in people who spend a lot of time outdoors without the protection of a hat or UV protected sunglasses.

Pterygium

The pterygium (pterygia) is closely related to the pinguecula. They both seem to arise from exposure to the environment and they both appear as yellow or reddish raised growths on the sclera. Where they differ is in severity. The pterygium tends to extend toward the cornea and can cause loss of vision if left untreated.

How does It Affect Your Life

Let's get one thing clear. Whether you have been diagnosed as having a pterygium or pinguecula, the symptoms are never easy to live with. Pingueculitis is constant. On any given day, you awake to bloodshot eyes. You feel lucky if they appear more yellow than red. The only hope you have of experiencing a day without everyone staring at you and asking personal and often accusatory questions (maybe you smoked marijuana) is a redness relieving eye drop followed by regular touchups throughout the day. A moisturizing eye-drop would also be nice in order to soothe the gritty feeling which goes hand in hand with this condition. On an almost day to day basis, there is the feeling of having a small pebble in your eye. A wrap around pair of sunglasses, with UV protection, of course, would be useful. Not just as mandatory equipment to face the dust and wind, but as protection from curious stares as well. In fact, I dare say from personal experience that for me, my sunglasses is part of my coping strategy for dealing with the anxiety that living with this condition produces.

If you wear contact lenses, you will eventually find yourself experiencing increased levels of irritation and redness.

Many hostesses, front desk receptionists, models, flight attendants, anyone in the entertainment industry, or anyone whose physical appearance is a huge factor in their employment could find themselves out of a job which they've probably held for several years. There are reports of individuals being given spontaneous drug tests at work or of being rigorously questioned by superiors about their €red eye€ condition with the concern that the employee may be abusing drugs or alcohol.

I've heard of models who were unable to work anymore when agencies dropped them because they were €tired up touching up€ photos.

Even job applicants seeking jobs that do not include a requirement for physical attractiveness have suffered. Common questions at interview center around the condition of their eyes.

Speaking of physical attractiveness. Can you imagine the horror of approaching an attractive woman to ask for a date with eyes as red as a vampire on the hunt? Would you, as a woman feel attractive showing up for a date with jaundiced eyes? And that is if you even get a date!

I would like for ophthalmologists to recognize this as the debilitating and life altering condition that it really is.

Confusion Among Eye Doctors

As if treating this condition as insignificant wasn't bad enough, eye doctors seem to have trouble differentiating between pinguecula and pterygium. When a pinguecula grows toward the cornea, it is considered a pterygium. However, in comparing diagnoses in various individuals, I have come to realize that doctors often misdiagnose and as a result, patients who should qualify for insurance coverage do not and continue to suffer unnecessarily. Insurance will cover cost for a pterygium and not a pinguecula.

My Pinguecula Story

I first noticed it as a child about 7 years old. I was looking very closely at my dad. €What's that?€ I asked pointing toward a small raised, red blemish on his left eye. €Daddy's old,€ he responded.

Years later, I noticed that I also had a red area on my eye that never seemed to go away. In fact, I had it in both eye at the inner corners. They became increasingly uncomfortable, often feeling as though there was a foreign object lodged in my eye. My eyes were extremely sensitive to dust, pollen, household cleaning products and very, very dry. And ugly.

In an otherwise attractive face, they are an anomaly. Prospective employers, people I just met, prospective dates and doctors all inquired as to the cause of my unsightly eyes - right after introductions and before any casual conversation had a chance to take place.

Needless to say, I spent many years harboring a silent shame about my eyes. I felt less attractive. And I avoided meeting new people. For years, I did not pose for a single photograph. When I found myself out of a job, I was terrified. Not because I didn't know how I would pay the rent. No, I dreaded having to face prospective employers. In NYC, competition for every job is fierce and your appearance factors as much as talent and experience. By then, the pinguecula had grown across both my eyes covering the entire white area and encroaching on to the cornea. One day, my new employer, along with his business partner interrogated me to find out the €real€ reason for my €chronically red and sickly looking eyes€. In the end, I satisfied them by submitting to a drug test.

My self confidence definitely suffered a great deal. After all, how can you literally look someone in the eye when you are desperately trying to hide your eyes?

Treatment of Pterygium

Sufferers of this degenerative eye disease must adhere to a strict regimen of lubricants and protection. Sunglasses help keep the environment out of already sore and dry eyes. I find that redness relieving eye drops are crucial although eye doctors will caution against its use.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drop prescriptions help to reduce inflammation.

Pataday is a prescription strength lubricant that does reduce the yellowness of the eye and really soothes the eye so the €foreign body€ feeling is less noticeable. It lessens the associated irritation overall. However, at 2.5ml, the $125 price tag is prohibitive as this only lasts 10 days to 2 weeks.

Surgical Options

Surgical removal of the pterygium is only proposed when the offending growth has begun to obscure vision. But considering how barbaric the traditional surgery still is, this is probably best. The growth is removed with a sharp instrument and stitches to the sclera hold the eye together until it has fully healed. It is painful and uncomfortable and leaves the eye even more bloodshot for weeks.

A more recent innovation is suture-less. Instead of stitches, a skin graft is applied to the area after the growth has been removed. With this option, redness is apparent following surgery but tends to be more short lived than with traditional surgery.

Eye Brite Whitening

This is the most modern approach to removing the pinguecula or pterygium and giving you the whitest eyes with less pain and less downtime. The technique was created by a board certified ophthalmologist, Dr. BrianBoxer Wachler of the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute located in Beverly Hills, CA. What is exciting about it is that he will remov