Berkeley Parents Network: Eye Health & Eye Conditions

Berkeley Parents Network

Eye Health & Eye Conditions

Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Advice about Health > Eye Health & Eye Conditions

Questions

Pterygium in the eye
Eye Exercises?
Watery eyes
Calcium deposit near eye?
One Eye Smaller than the Other
Toddler's red, swollen eyes

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Pterygium in the eye

April 2007

For the last 5 years I have had pterygium in my eye and it has been growing into my cornea. I have been seeing an opthalmologist who is considering surgically removing the growth but he mentioned that there is a 50% chance that the pterygium will return. Does anyone have experience with the surgery and did the pterygium come back? I am an active mom of 2 and I'm concerned that this will affect my vision as it is affecting my way of life with chronic eye irritation and redness. Any advice will be extremely helpful. My eye is always red

My husband has pterygium in both of his eyes. His first surgery was in the early 1990 s with an eye specialist in El Cerrito. Unfortunately, his pterygium grew back almost immediately. We saw Dr. Daniel Goodman in San Francisco a few years later. He s a cornea specialist which is so important when you re dealing with something like pterygium. My husband had another surgery with him and this time it didn t grow back. A few years later, he had surgery on the other eye and unfortunately it did grow back and he'll probably go back in for another surgery. So it s hard to say. I understand pterygirum can be pretty aggressive little boogers. It s not bothering his vision, which is the most important thing, but like you, his eyes are always red. If your insurance can cover it, I would recommend at least a visit to Dr. Goodman to discuss your situation further with him. He s the best in his field. Good luck! Linda

yes, it could grow back, but it might not. if it is causing you significant discomfort, have it removed. eye doc

Hello! Yes, pterygiums have a very high rate of recurrence post- surgery. There are certain surgical techniques that are supposed to increase chances of non-recurrence, but there are mixed opinions about these. My question to you is: are you doing everything possible to prevent growth/redness? You need to be lubricating your eye a lot--Artificial tears during the day. Systane or Soothe is best if you don't wear contacts. Ophthalmic ointment at bedtime. No Visine or anything to try to get the red out of your eyes. Always wear sunglasses when outside--wrap around is best. Always protect your eyes from sun and wind exposure (use sunglasses, cap with visor, etc.) If your pterygium isn't that big, and you can get it to settle down, and you don't mind it cosmetically, you wouldn't need surgery. eye doc

Eye Exercises?

April 2006

I've heard that various types of eye exercises, such as the natural eye sight system, have been successful in building up eye muscles and improving eye sight. Does anyone have advice on such systems or recommendations about clinics/practitioners who specialize in eye exercises? jenny

Eye exercises do really work. you might want to contact Meir Schneider of '' School for Self Healing'' in SF.( www.self- healing.org ) aside from doing consultations, he teaches ''Yoga for the eyes'' based on Dr. Bates theory. I'm a former student of Meir and know for a fact that eye exercises are helpful in relaxing the eyes, improving vision and helping in other conditions as macular degeneration, cataracts, etc... Good luck

Watery eyes

Nov 2005

My eyes will pour out water at seemingly random times, as though I'm crying, but it often seems unrelated to anything-not even because my eyes are stinging. It can be a bit much, and I'll need to dab my eyes constantly for 30 minutes or more, otherwise I'll look like I've been sobbing nonstop. Does anybody have any ideas of how to stop this? or is this something I should be worried about? The optometrist I went to (who was not very attentive) dismissed it. Thanks!

I think you need a new eye doctor. Check out these sites for more information.

http://www.goodhope.org.uk/departments/eyedept/watery.htm
http://www.allaboutvision.com/askdoc/dry-eyes.htm
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/sym/watery_eyes.htm

Calcium deposit near eye?

Sept 2005

I have a small white raised bump on the side of my nose up by my eye. I thought is was a white head, tried to pop it, nothing happened. I've had it for about a month now and someone told me it could be a calcium deposit. What is a calcium deposit? Does anyone know what I can do to get rid of it and prevent others from showing up? Julie

It is probably a milia. You can poke it with a sterilized pin and squeeze the contents out (keratin, not calcium). It won't come back. They can't be prevented but are super easy to get rid of. If you don't feel comfortable treating it yourself, your primary care doctor can do it. Of course, the usual disclaimer applies - without seeing it I can't know what it is, but milia are very common, especially on the face around the eyes, and appear just as you describe - tiny white bumps that look a bit like pimples, but without the inflammation. They are not dangerous. Check out http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001367.htm, a google search will find you several other web sites also. I couldn't find one with a picure. Happy puncturing! doc mama

One Eye Smaller than the Other

October 2003

My 3-1/2 yo son's right eye is noticeably smaller than his left eye. The size difference seems to be getting more noticeable as he grows. When I asked his pediatrician about the difference at his 3yo well-child checkup, she said it was not a medical concern unless the lid was overhanging the pupil and interfering with his sight, which it is not. For obvious reasons, though, I am worried even if the size difference doesn't present a medical problem. Has anyone's child had the same problem? If so, did s/he outgrow it? I assume nothing can be done to rectify the problem. Thanks for any responses. Worried mom

Our daughter has one eye that is slightly smaller than the other. Our pediatrician also said it was nothing to worry about. I took her to the UC Berkeley pediatric eye clinic to get her eyes checked and the person there said it could be an indicator of a sight problem. I can't remember what exactly, and there was little evidence that our daughter had any problems with her eyes, but she recommended I get routine eye exams just to monitor the situation. They are great there! An exam costs about $80 -- unless your insurance covers it. I felt fortunate to have such a wonderful resource in our community. anon

This child needs to be seen by a Pediatric Ophthalmologist right away (within two months). You might be describing a condition known as congenital ptosis (where the upper lid is a little droopy). This condition is known to cause astigmatism in one eye which can lead to amblyopia (''lazy eye''). There are other serious problems that can look like ptosis on the surface (such as neurofibromatosis). Occasionally the problem is not with the eye which looks smaller, but rather, the problem is in what you think is the normal eye. Lid retraction or exophthalmos in one eye can be interpreted as a smaller eye on the other side. These conditions could be caused by many things including orbital tumors, optic nerve gliomas, and more. Please have the child fully examined by a Pediatric Ophthalmologist. The most superlative one in the Bay area is Dr. William Good. He has offices in San Ramon, Walnut Creek, and San Francisco. If the child has any of these conditions, you have only a limited time to intervene before he could go blind or worse. If it proves to be nothing more than a cosmetic idiopathic ptosis, this is easily repaired if desired.

If you are so inclined, please post that you saw this posting. And, as an aside, general pediatricians have very little exposure to ophthalmology in both their medical school and residency training, so a consultation with a specialist is always ide

General Ophthalmologist Who Knows His Stuff

Toddler's red, swollen eyes

Feb 2002

My 2.5 year old daughter has, apparently, developed allergies recently. About two months ago she started rubbing her eyes now and then, and since then she has gotten more and more frantic about it, rubbing with both fists over and over again all day long. The result is two VERY swollen and red eyelids, dark circles under her eyes, and red blotches on her cheeks that last all day long. It looks terribly uncomfortable, and seems to be affecting her behavior, which is getting more and more punchy each day. She is acting and looking as if she hasn't slept in days, though she has. It's awful. Her doctors say it is "textbook" allergies, most likely to dust mites and pollen, and that there really isn't much we can do other than try to make her comfortable, and perhaps alleviate her symptoms with medication. Benadryl does nothing for her. We have tried eye drops, in particular Naphcon-A, which does nothing but scare the heck out of her when we try to give it to her. Just recently we started prescription Claritin syrup, and that too is doing nothing for her. We have also been washing her hands meticulously, vacuuming, dusting, replacing our heater filters, and basically trying to reduce our household irritants. Meanwhile, she is looking terrible, and having more and more difficulty enjoying her classes and play dates. This happens in our house, and out in the world, and at her school and gym. She is now asking to just "stay home" all the time. One minute she'll look OK, and the next minute her face is swollen, and her face looks as if she has been punched in each eye. We're starting to get a little desperate, and are wondering if anybody else has seen this kind of allergic symptom in their children before. If so, do you have any advice, or recommendations for specific medications, diets, herbal remedies, or otherwise?? We could use some help. Thank you! Anne

The doctor is probably going by what he sees in the office. It reads like there's more going on there than just the allergy and eye rubbing. This behavior may have evolved from an allergic reaction into a coping mechanism. You mentioned classes and play dates. Is the rubbing related to the transitions to and from activities outside the home? Transitions to and from the home can be stressful especially to a 2.5 year old. Try spreading the engagements out over time or eliminating them for a few weeks and see what happens. There may be other stressors, too. Make a note of when the eye rubbing commences. Does it happen right after vacuum cleaning? After certain foods are eaten? Parents coming and going? Is there a particular time of day when it's more prevalent? Gregg :^)

my advice is to not give up on the eyedrops. there are some prescription drops much better than naphcon-A. drops get right to the site of the problem rather than having to wait for medicine to work systemically. it is difficult to administer the drops to a toddler. maybe your eye doctor can coach you. you have to be fast. and you have to be persistent for them to work. once your daughter starts to feel relief she may be more accommodating to taking the drops. also try cool compresses (another toughie with a toddler). be patient because controlling allergies can be difficult. itching causes rubbing which causes inflammation which causes irritation which causes itching... it is a cycle. suzie

Medicine is a "practice" and sometimes you have to go through a lot of different medications until you find the right one. Your doctor should send her to an allergist to test her for allergies to find out exactly what is causing her to have such a reaction. If you can pinpoint it more closely, a more suitable drug could be found. Saying your daughter has textbook allergies and knowing exactly what those allergies are is two very different things. She could also be allergic to a food. Get her tested before you try anything else.

When I had the allergy tests, they would not stop with the grass tests. The redness continued to creep up my arm and they had to give me a shot of adrenaline to make it stop. Your daughter is very allergic to something and until you find out what it is, she will stay miserable and you along with her. Marianne

To make eyedrops easier to administer to a young child, try warming up the bottle in your hand or armpit for a few minutes first. Then it's not so shocking going it, and kids won't fight it so much. While my children never had the distressing allergies yours is suffering, it really helped when they had pink eye and needed drops several times per day. Lisa McL

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