OPHTHALMIC CONSULTANTS OF BOSTON OCB VISIONS FALL 2019 What to do about styes and other growths on the eye Just as a growth can appear anywhere on your body, a bump may emerge on your eyelid and even on the surface of your eye. These can be bothersome, and may sometimes interfere with your vision. The good news is that they are very common, treatable and are most often benign.
A visit to your OCB eye doctor is warranted for any new growth occurring on your eye or eyelid. He or she will want to evaluate the lesion; determine what is causing it; and decide whether to remove or continue to monitor it.
“A lesion on the eye becomes more concerning if it is rapidly growing,” says OCB cornea specialist Mina Farahani, MD. “If you have had the growth for many years and it has not changed, there is usually no cause for concern. It is more concerning when it is new, changing in size or shape, or has any irregular blood vessels around the lesion.” Continued inside
The Center for Eye Research and Education is a non-profit foundation Inside this issue: A Fall led by OCB physicians that supports eye healthy recipe projects throughout the world aimed at preserving vision for those in need. To donate, go to: cere-foundation.org Continued from cover... The most common benign bumps that occur on the eye are styes and chalazia. These growths are similar to one another, but are not the same. A stye can be very painful. It often appears at the eyelid’s edge, and it often swells, sometimes affecting the entire eyelid. A chalazion is not usually painful, and typically develops farther back on the eyelid than a stye. Rarely does it make the entire eyelid swell.
“Styes and chalazia are treated in a similar way with warm compresses, and sometimes with antibiotic drops or medication because they may be linked with other diseases that affect the surface of the eye,” says OCB cornea specialist Laura Voicu, MD. “These include dry eye and blepharitis, which can lead to a Cornea specialists Laura Voicu, MD and Mina Farahani, pattern of inflamed glands that requires MD see patients at OCB’s Boston, Cambridge and Danvers ongoing management with your eye doctor, locations. so that you do not continue to have these breakouts.”
A nevus, which is a freckle, can also appear on the eye or eyelid. “We apply similar criteria to a freckle on the eye as we do a freckle on your skin,” says Dr. Voicu. “If the freckle is new or changing, we may want to remove it and send it out for a biopsy to be sure it is not becoming a melanoma. Really any new freckle on or around your eye should be checked. The chance of it being a melanoma, however, is quite low.”
The most common growths that emerge on A stye is one of the most common benign growths occurring the white part of the eye are pingueculas and on the eyelid. pterygia. The latter is known as surfer’s eye because it is associated with many years of sun exposure.
“Pterygia grow from the conjunctiva onto the cornea,” says Dr. Farahani. “As long as they are not affecting vision or causing discomfort they can be watched and do not need to be removed. However, if they are causing vision changes or There are genetic and other causes for these encroaching on the pupil, they can be surgically growths, but the one preventable risk factor is removed. Pterygia may also be removed if they UV exposure. OCB eye doctors and the American are causing irritation that does not improve with a Academy of Ophthalmology recommend topical eye drop regimen.” wearing 100 percent UV blocking sunglasses to help reduce the risk of developing benign and
malignant growths.
COMMON GROWTHS ON THE EYE AT A GLANCE ON EYELID OR SURFACE ON THE EYELID ON THE SURFACE OF THE EYE OF THE EYE Stye Pingueculas Nevi (freckle) A small red bump emerging from the base Growth on the eye’s A painless freckle that of the eyelash or under the eyelid that can conjunctiva, the clear covering can appear anywhere on be very painful. There can sometimes be a over the white part of the eye. the body, including both small pus spot at the center of the bump eyelid and eye. Chalazion Pterygium (Surfer’s Eye) A bump on the eyelid that sometimes A growth of fleshy tissue on become red and swollen; occurs when the the white part of the eye that eyelid’s oil gland clogs up. It is not usually has blood vessels. Sometimes painful. a pterygia starts out as a Papilloma pinguecula. It can be small or big enough to cover part of the Painless, wart-like growth that can become cornea, in which case it can bothersome if they get too close to the affect vision. edge of the eyelid.
1. · in Falmouth announcement, keep the quotes around Cutting the ribbon in Falmouth “Homeport,” and he took out “in” so take it out, but replace with a It’s official! OCB and the Falmouth Chamber of comma. Commerce co-hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open 2. · He added a period to the end of the caption. Disregard as no house on October 2nd at OCB’s newest location, 186 period needed there. Jones Road, “Homeport”. The Falmouth location opens 3. · In the recipe, I had made a change to the .pdf, so please make it to your version. The line about 1 onion should say “sliced as OCB celebrates 50 years since opening its first practice into crescents” as it is on this version. in Boston in 1969. With the opening of the Falmouth 4. Are you able to get changes to me Monday?? practice, OCB has 10 locations, including three locations to serve our patients who live or vacation on Cape Cod.
(Pictured from left to right) Marie Oliva, President, Cape Cod Canal Chamber of Commerce; Ophthalmologist Daniel O’Connor, MD; Ophthalmologist Michael Oats, MD, Optometrist Matthew Waterbury, OD; OCB Director of Operations Sharon Brown, Michael Kasparian, President, Falmouth Chamber of Commerce OCB NEWS
November is Diabetes Awareness Month OCB eye doctors want to remind our diabetic and pre-diabetic FALL EYE HEALTHY RECIPE patients that an annual dilated eye exam is the best way to prevent Shrimp Stir Fry vision loss due to eye conditions INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING: associated with diabetes. Diabetic 1 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves retinopathy, the most common 1 onion sliced into crescents 3 tablespoons tamari eye problem among diabetics, has 1 large head of broccoli (chopped), 1/3 c. water 2 bell peppers, (sliced), 1 ½ tbsp.toasted sesame no early symptoms, which makes 5 oz. mushrooms (sliced) oil eye exams especially important. 1 pound shrimp 2 scallions, minced. Schedule your eye exam today at 1-800-635-0489 or request an Heat oil in a large pan and appointment at www.eyeboston. saute onion on medium com. heat for 2 minutes. Add broccoli and sliced pepper In addition, making a healthy and cook for 3 minutes, lifestyle a priority plays an Add shrimp, and cook for important role in controlling another 3 minutes, then add mushrooms for another diabetes and its complications. 2 minutes. For dressing: in Eat a low-sugar whole food diet small bowl combine garlic, tamari, water, maple syrup, toasted with lots of colorful vegetables and sesame oil. Pour over stir fry and cook for 2-3 more minutes. make exercise a regular part of Serve stir fry on top of quinoa or brown rice. Serves 4 your routine.
OCB welcomes ophthalmologist Catherine Choi, MD. Dr. Choi specializes in the treatment of adult strabismus. Dr. Choi uses advanced surgical techniques include the use of adjustable sutures for complex strabismus. Dr. Choi practices at OCB’s Boston office. Learn more about Dr. Choi by visiting our website www.eyeboston.com.
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