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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Partly. A doctor can advise and treat irritation by video; confirming the diagnosis, steroid drops for an inflamed growth and surgery need an eye examination in person.
- What they are: a pinguecula is a yellowish bump on the white of the eye, usually on the side nearest the nose; a pterygium is a fleshy, wedge-shaped growth that spreads onto the cornea.
- Cause: mainly years of ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, with wind, dust and dry eyes; a pinguecula is found in up to 97% of people in sunny regions, and neither growth is cancer.
- What helps: lubricating drops for irritation, wraparound sunglasses and a brimmed hat outdoors, and surgery when a pterygium threatens your sight, keeps getting inflamed or bothers you by its appearance.
- Emergency: call 112 for sudden loss of vision, a painful red eye with blurred vision, or an injury or a chemical in the eye.
Do not book a video appointment if you have suddenly lost vision, have a painful red eye with blurred vision, or have injured your eye or got a chemical in it. Call 112 or go to an emergency department. For a chemical, rinse the eye with clean water while you wait.
Can an online doctor treat pinguecula and pterygium?
Partly. A pinguecula or pterygium is confirmed by an optician or eye doctor at a slit-lamp examination, and steroid drops for an inflamed growth and surgery are given in person. A doctor by video can look at the growth, explain what it is likely to be, treat irritation with lubricating drops, advise on sun and dust protection, and tell you how soon you need an eye examination.
How an online consultation helps with pinguecula and pterygium
- What it is likely to be: A pinguecula, a pterygium or another cause of a red patch, and the signs that need an eye examination.
- Irritation treated: Lubricating drops by day and an ointment at night for grittiness, dryness and burning.
- Protection that works: Wraparound sunglasses, a brimmed hat and goggles, which lower the risk of flare-ups and growth.
- When surgery is worth it: Whether a pterygium threatens your sight or keeps getting inflamed, and what removal involves.
What the doctor checks in an online pinguecula or pterygium consultation
The doctor asks about the warning signs first, then looks at the growth on camera. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: pain, a change in your vision, pain when looking at light, an injury, or a chemical in the eye.
- The growth: where it is, its colour, whether it is raised, whether it reaches the coloured part of the eye, and whether it has grown or changed.
- Your symptoms: redness, grittiness, dryness, burning, itching or watering.
- Your vision: blurring or distortion, and when you last had an eye test.
- Your exposure: time outdoors, sun, wind and dust at work or in sport, and whether you wear sunglasses.
- Your eyes: contact lenses, dry eyes, and any eye surgery, including the removal of a growth before.
Before the call, take a clear, close-up photo of the eye in daylight, looking towards your ear and then towards your nose, so the growth can be seen.
What are pinguecula and pterygium?
Both are growths on the conjunctiva, the clear layer that covers the white of the eye, and neither is cancer. A pinguecula stays on the white of the eye. A pterygium grows onto the cornea, the clear window over the coloured part of the eye.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Feature | Pinguecula | Pterygium |
|---|---|---|
| What it looks like | A yellowish or grey-white raised patch or bump | A fleshy, wedge-shaped growth with visible blood vessels |
| Where | On the white of the eye, usually on the side nearest the nose | Starts on the white of the eye and grows onto the cornea |
| Made of | Deposits of protein, fat or calcium | Fibrous tissue with blood vessels |
| Growth | Very slow, or none | Faster; small ones may stay small, others keep growing |
| Effect on vision | None | Can blur or distort vision when it changes the shape of the cornea or covers part of it |
| Usual treatment | Lubricating drops, and steroid drops when inflamed; removal very rarely | Lubricating drops, steroid drops when inflamed, and surgery when it causes problems |
A pterygium is also called surfer's eye. A pinguecula can, in rare cases, turn into a pterygium.
How common are they?
Very common. Studies find a pinguecula in 22.5% to 97% of people, depending on where they live, and almost everyone shows some sign of one by their 80s. A pterygium affects between 0.3% and 29% of people and is most common in the pterygium belt, between 37° north and south of the equator, which reaches the southern edge of Europe, such as Malta, Cyprus and Crete. Men are affected more often, probably because they spend longer working outdoors.
What causes pinguecula and pterygium?
Mainly years of ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. Wind, dust, sand and dry eyes add to it. The risk is higher with:
- time outdoors, especially working outside
- sunlight reflected from water, sand and fresh snow
- wind, dust and sand
- dry eyes
- contact lenses, more with hard lenses than soft ones
- getting older
What triggers a pinguecula to flare up or grow?
The same things that cause it: more sun, wind and dust, dry eyes, contact lenses, and frequent irritation, for example from allergies. An inflamed pinguecula is called pingueculitis: the patch turns red and swollen, and the eye feels irritated and waters.
What are the symptoms of pinguecula and pterygium?
Often none: many people only notice a patch on the white of the eye in the mirror. When there are symptoms, they include:
- a feeling of something in the eye, or grittiness
- dryness, burning or itching
- redness and swelling of the patch when it is inflamed
- watering
- with a pterygium: blurred or distorted vision, and difficulty wearing contact lenses
Can pinguecula or pterygium cause blindness?
A pinguecula does not affect vision. A pterygium can blur or distort vision if it changes the curve of the cornea (astigmatism) or grows over the centre of it, which is why a pterygium that threatens the line of sight is referred for removal.
Is a pinguecula dangerous?
No. A pinguecula is harmless and is not cancer. What matters is telling it apart from rarer growths that look similar, which is why a new growth should be checked once by an optician or eye doctor.
Pinguecula, pterygium or something else?
Some growths on the eye look similar but need treatment, including cancers of the surface of the eye, which can look like a pterygium, especially in older people. See an optician or eye doctor promptly if a growth:
- is growing or changing
- is dark or pigmented
- has a large blood vessel feeding it
- first appears when you are older
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Condition | What points to it | Online care |
|---|---|---|
| Pinguecula | A yellowish bump on the white of the eye, usually on the nose side, that does not reach the cornea | Partly online |
| Pterygium | A fleshy, wedge-shaped growth with blood vessels that grows onto the cornea | Partly online |
| Pingueculitis | A pinguecula that has turned red, swollen and irritated | Partly online |
| Burst blood vessel | A bright red area on the white of the eye | Handled online |
| Conjunctivitis | A red eye with a gritty or burning feeling and sticky eyes | Treated online |
| Snow blindness | Both eyes painful and gritty after strong sun on snow, water or sand | Treated online |
| A growth that needs a check | Growing or changing, pigmented, or with a large feeding blood vessel | An eye examination in person |
The red eye page covers the other causes of a red eye and their warning signs.
Do pinguecula and pterygium go away?
No. A pinguecula usually stays for life, but it grows very slowly or not at all, and a flare-up of redness settles with treatment; surgery is the only way to remove it. With a pterygium, small ones may stay small and others keep growing onto the cornea, and surgery is recommended when it causes problems.
How do you get rid of a pinguecula?
Usually you do not need to. Lubricating drops ease the grittiness, a short course of steroid drops after an eye examination calms an inflamed one, and sun protection helps prevent flare-ups. Removal is rarely needed: it is considered when a pinguecula is often inflamed, grows close to the cornea and affects vision, or makes contact lenses hard to wear, and is generally not done for looks alone.
Pterygium surgery: what it involves
Surgery is recommended when a pterygium threatens the line of sight, changes the shape of the cornea and blurs vision, stays inflamed, limits eye movement, or is unacceptable in appearance. An eye surgeon does it in an operating room, usually in 30 minutes to an hour. When both eyes need surgery, they are usually done on separate days.
The growth is removed and the bare area is covered with a thin piece of healthy conjunctiva from the same eye, a graft, which lowers the chance of it coming back. Large growths can be covered with amniotic membrane. Recovery takes at least a month. Antibiotic and steroid drops are used while it heals, and the eye can be red, irritated or blurry for a while.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Technique | How often it comes back | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Removal alone (bare sclera) | 24% to 89% | The highest rate of recurrence |
| Removal with a conjunctival graft | About 5% to 21% in published series | The graft lowers recurrence |
| Removal with amniotic membrane | About 2.6% to 10.7% for a first pterygium; up to 37.5% after a recurrence | Used for large growths |
| Mitomycin C added | Lower than without it | Can cause serious complications, so it is used with care |
About 90% of recurrences happen between the first and third month after surgery. Use the drops exactly as the surgeon prescribes and keep follow-up appointments: drops used after surgery without the surgeon's supervision can damage the eye.
Which pinguecula or pterygium treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment follows what the growth is doing. This is the framework the doctors use:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A small yellowish bump, no symptoms | Reassurance and sun protection | Yes | Once, at an optician, to confirm it |
| A gritty, dry or irritated eye with a known pinguecula or pterygium | Lubricating drops by day and ointment at night | Yes | If it does not settle |
| A red, swollen, sore patch | Cold compresses and lubricants; steroid drops after an eye examination | Partly | For the examination and steroid drops |
| A pterygium growing towards the centre of the cornea, or blurred vision | Referral to an eye specialist | Yes, to advise | For assessment and surgery |
| A growth that is changing, pigmented or has a large feeding blood vessel | An eye examination | No, beyond advice | Promptly, in person |
| A painful red eye with blurred vision, an injury or a chemical | Emergency care | No | Call 112 now |
A new growth on the white of your eye? A doctor can tell you in one consultation whether it needs an eye examination.
See available times →Treatment options for pinguecula and pterygium
What you can do yourself
- Use lubricating drops (artificial tears) for grittiness and dryness; choose preservative-free drops if you use them more than 4 times a day.
- Use an unmedicated lubricating ointment at bedtime.
- Hold a cold compress on a red, inflamed patch.
- Wear wraparound sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB light, and a broad-brimmed hat, whenever the UV index is 3 or above.
- Protect your eyes from wind, dust and sand with glasses or goggles.
- Take a break from contact lenses while the eye is irritated.
The Climate Health Index shows the daily UV score for European cities.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. Lubricating drops and ointments are often enough. An inflamed pinguecula or pterygium usually settles with a short course of mild steroid eye drops, which are prescribed after a slit-lamp examination by an optometrist or eye doctor. The doctor may recommend or prescribe lubricants and tell you where to have that examination. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Antibiotic drops: neither growth is an infection. Leftover steroid drops from an earlier course or from someone else. Removing a pinguecula for looks alone, which is generally not done. Waiting to have a growth that is changing checked.
Special situations
Contact lens wearers
Contact lenses are linked to a more advanced pinguecula, more with hard lenses than soft ones, and a pterygium can make lenses hard to fit. Take a break from lenses when the eye is irritated, and see your optician if they no longer feel comfortable.
Outdoor workers, surfers, sailors and skiers
Long hours in sun, wind and light reflected from water, sand and snow raise the risk. Wraparound sunglasses with full UV protection and a brimmed hat are the main protection, with goggles in dust or sand.
After pterygium surgery
Use the antibiotic and steroid drops as the surgeon prescribes, keep every follow-up appointment, and protect the eye from sun and dust, because recurrence is most likely in the first 3 months.
Pinguecula and pterygium while travelling in Europe
In strong summer sun, on the water or on snow, wear wraparound sunglasses and a brimmed hat. A flare-up on a trip can be eased with lubricating drops and cold compresses until you can have an eye examination, and two painful, gritty eyes after a day on snow or water may be snow blindness.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When pinguecula and pterygium are treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: irritation and dryness, advice on sun and dust protection, deciding how soon you need an eye examination, and questions before or after surgery.
In-person care: confirming the diagnosis at a slit lamp, steroid drops for an inflamed growth, any growth that is changing or pigmented, blurred vision, and surgery.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
- a red eye with any change in your sight, such as wavy lines, flashing or loss of vision
- a red eye that hurts to look at light
- a red eye with a severe headache and feeling sick
- an injury to the eye, or a chemical in it: rinse it with clean water while you wait
Get medical advice the same day for:
- a red eye that is very painful
- a red eye if you wear contact lenses
- changes in your vision, such as blurred or double vision
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your eyes: show the growth on camera in good light, and describe any redness, grittiness or change in your vision, your time outdoors and whether you wear contact lenses.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s pinguecula or pterygium? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Red eye can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about pinguecula and pterygium
What is a pinguecula?
A pinguecula is a harmless, yellowish bump on the white of the eye, usually on the side nearest the nose. It is made of protein, fat or calcium deposits and is caused mainly by years of sunlight, wind and dust.
What is a pterygium?
A pterygium, also called surfer's eye, is a fleshy, wedge-shaped growth with blood vessels that starts on the white of the eye and grows onto the cornea. It is not cancer, but a large one can blur vision.
What is the difference between a pinguecula and a pterygium?
A pinguecula stays on the white of the eye and does not affect vision. A pterygium grows onto the cornea, can grow faster, and can blur or distort vision when it changes the shape of the cornea.
Is a pinguecula dangerous?
No. A pinguecula is harmless and is not cancer. A new growth should still be checked once by an optician or eye doctor, because some rarer growths look similar.
Will a pinguecula go away?
No. A pinguecula usually stays for life, but it grows very slowly or not at all. Redness and irritation during a flare-up settle with lubricating drops, and sometimes steroid drops after an eye examination.
How do I get rid of a pinguecula, and what helps at home?
Usually you do not need to get rid of a pinguecula. Lubricating drops ease irritation, steroid drops calm an inflamed one, and sun protection prevents flare-ups. Surgery is rarely needed and is generally not done for looks alone.
What triggers a pinguecula?
A pinguecula is triggered by sunlight, wind, dust and sand, dry eyes, contact lenses and frequent irritation, for example from allergies. The same things can make an existing one flare up or grow.
How can I prevent a pinguecula or pterygium?
Protect the eyes from ultraviolet light every day, not just on holiday: wraparound sunglasses with full UV protection, a brimmed hat, and shade in the middle of the day, with extra care on water, sand and snow, which reflect UV; shield the eyes from wind and dust with glasses or goggles when cycling, sailing or working outdoors; treat dry eyes with lubricating drops; and limit contact lens wear in dusty, windy conditions. Starting sun protection young prevents most pterygium, because the damage accumulates over decades.
What does a pinguecula look like?
A pinguecula is a small, raised, yellowish or grey-white patch on the white of the eye, most often on the side nearest the nose. When it is inflamed, it turns red and swollen.
Can a pterygium cause blindness?
A pterygium can blur or distort vision if it changes the curve of the cornea or grows over its centre, which is why one that threatens the line of sight is removed. A pinguecula does not affect vision.
How common is pinguecula?
Very common. Studies find a pinguecula in 22.5% to 97% of people, depending on where they live, and almost everyone shows some sign of one by their 80s.
Does a pterygium come back after surgery?
Sometimes. A pterygium comes back in 24% to 89% of eyes after removal alone, and far less often when the area is covered with a graft. About 90% of recurrences happen in the first 3 months.
Can an online doctor treat pinguecula or pterygium?
Partly. A doctor by video can look at a pinguecula or pterygium, treat irritation with lubricating drops and advise on sun protection. Confirming the diagnosis, steroid drops and surgery need an eye examination in person.
- Pinguecula, Somnath A, Tripathy K. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf, updated 25 August 2023.
- Pterygium, Sarkar P, Tripathy K. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf, updated 25 August 2023.
- Eyecare guidelines 3.16: pinguecula, NHS Scotland, Eye Health, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Eyecare guidelines 3.18: pterygium, NHS Scotland, Eye Health, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Ultraviolet radiation: fact sheet, WHO, World Health Organization, 21 June 2022.
- Pinguecula, Cleveland Clinic (US), reviewed 22 November 2024.
- Pinguecula and pterygium, Johns Hopkins Medicine (US), accessed 15 October 2026.
- What is a pinguecula and a pterygium (surfer's eye)?, American Academy of Ophthalmology, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Red eye, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 27 October 2025.
- Eye injuries, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 12 March 2026.
- Vision loss, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 28 August 2025.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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