Do you have a freckle or brown spot in your eye? While this is common, and usually harmless, it’s important to always have it checked by a professional eye doctor.
You may be surprised to learn that yearly eye exams are important for more than just updating the prescription of your eyeglasses. They are also a great way to protect your overall health.
A routine eye checkup can help detect signs of serious health conditions, including:
- Diabetes
- Brain tumors
- High cholesterol
- Thyroid disease
- Oral melanoma/skin cancer
Comprehensive Eye Care at Market Mall Optometry
Our Calgary eye doctors strive to always protect your vision and overall health. From helping you select the right pair of eyeglasses, to eye emergency care, we provide a wide range of vision services including glaucoma testing and contact lens fittings.
Want to know how we can help protect your sight?
What Is The Brown Spot On My Eye?
A nevus, or brown spot, is a pigmented growth that develops on the eye, much like a freckle or a mole. It can occur in many different places including:
- On the surface of your eye (conjunctival nevus)
- In the coloured part of your eye (iris nevus)
- Under your retina (in the back of your eye)
What Causes an Eye Freckle?
The eye possesses a membrane full of pigment cells called choroid. At times, these pigment cells can clump together abnormally, resulting in an eye freckle.
This can be caused by:
- Overexposure to the sun
- Genetics
- Race
- Smoking or excessive alcohol consumption
- Poor diet
How can I keep my eyes healthy?
While you may not be able to prevent eye freckles, or eye melanoma, there are certain things you can do to keep your eyes healthy.
This includes:
- Wearing sunglasses with UV light protection to block out any UV light from the sun that can damage your eyes.
- Eating a healthy diet which includes eye-healthy nutrients such as spinach, kale, fish and vegetable oils.
- Quit smoking because nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes can cause eye and blood vessel damage
- Limiting alcohol use because heavy alcohol intake can increase your risk for certain eye diseases.
Should I be worried about a freckle in my eye?
A nevus is a benign growth, which means that it’s not cancerous. Most of them will stay benign but rarely, just like any other mole on your body, they can change and become cancerous.
When is an eye freckle an emergency?
While in most cases, eye freckles are harmless, there are situations where they can be considered eye emergencies. It’s important to consult your eye doctor IMMEDIATELY if you are experiencing the following:
- Severe pain in and around your eye
- Flashing lights
- Vision loss
- Dark spot in the centre of your eye
- Floaters
- A change in the shape/colour of the growth
Call Today
To find out more about our vision services including eye emergencies, cataract management and children’s eye exams, contact our Calgary eye doctors at 403-286-4884 or book an eye exam today.
