Pinguecula: This seems worse than the Internet thinks it is.
August 6, 2015 10:58 PM Subscribe
I noticed this globular blump on my eyeball, just to the outside of the iris. When I turn my eye to the side, it glunks up in the corner and oozes out over my lower eyelid.
The Goog says pinguecula and that seems right. Except.
My whole eye socket aches, we had to turn the ceiling fan off because the air was hurting my eye and I feel like I have a giant booger in my eyeball. The Internet at large says "no big deal".
Really? I just have this now forever? It sucks.
Is there anything I can do to make it go away and why aren't they as upset about this as I am?
The Goog says pinguecula and that seems right. Except.
My whole eye socket aches, we had to turn the ceiling fan off because the air was hurting my eye and I feel like I have a giant booger in my eyeball. The Internet at large says "no big deal".
Really? I just have this now forever? It sucks.
Is there anything I can do to make it go away and why aren't they as upset about this as I am?
The oozing + pain combination would make me inclined to check with a doctor. You may be incorrectly diagnosing yourself.
posted by ocherdraco at 11:09 PM on August 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ocherdraco at 11:09 PM on August 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Go to an eye doctor. I had a dull ache in my entire eye once (felt like I had been whacked in the eye) with some redness but not severe. Turns out I had episcleritis, which is inflammation of the white part of your eye. Unfortunately mine turned into iritis as well, which meant I not only had steroid drops but also had to have that eye dilated for THREE WEEKS. Trust me, that was weird.
So definitely call an ophthalmologist ASAP. It should be covered under your medical insurance because it's a medical condition (as opposed to just a vision exam) so if you are worried about not having vision insurance that may not actually be an issue. The doc office can figure that out for you.
posted by MultiFaceted at 11:23 PM on August 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
So definitely call an ophthalmologist ASAP. It should be covered under your medical insurance because it's a medical condition (as opposed to just a vision exam) so if you are worried about not having vision insurance that may not actually be an issue. The doc office can figure that out for you.
posted by MultiFaceted at 11:23 PM on August 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
You only get one pair of eyes, never mind Dr Google see a proper eye doctor ASAFP. Why are you delaying?
posted by epo at 4:28 AM on August 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by epo at 4:28 AM on August 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: This person on the internet says holy mother of eyeballs get to a doctor. Could be nothing, but it's (1) YOUR eye, (2) your EYE, and (3) bugging you more or less constantly.
Shit, I've gone to the eye doctor for things like a slightly drier than usual eye and a rogue eyelash that needed plucking, and the relief of knowing it wasn't worse was absolutely worth the hassle and cost.
posted by Metroid Baby at 5:31 AM on August 7, 2015 [4 favorites]
Shit, I've gone to the eye doctor for things like a slightly drier than usual eye and a rogue eyelash that needed plucking, and the relief of knowing it wasn't worse was absolutely worth the hassle and cost.
posted by Metroid Baby at 5:31 AM on August 7, 2015 [4 favorites]
As a person with one working eye I am just stunned that you're not at the doctor right now! Please just go!!
posted by PorcineWithMe at 6:59 AM on August 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by PorcineWithMe at 6:59 AM on August 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: I agree. Showing up at the ER last night seemed a little dramarama for something the Internet was not worried about. But my eye doctor's office opens in two hours and Ima be there waiting for her. Thanks you guys, you're the best (as always!)
posted by The Noble Goofy Elk at 7:04 AM on August 7, 2015
posted by The Noble Goofy Elk at 7:04 AM on August 7, 2015
I have the pinguecula. (Which sounds like a little eye penguin, but is not nearly as cute.) I don't get eye socket pain, but my eyes do hurt sometime. It's basically a callus on your eyeball, and your eyelid will rub against it, and dang if that isn't irritating.
The good news is that if that's what it is, it's relatively harmelss -- just irritating, both literally and otherwise. The bad news is that they pretty much don't go away. Ever. :(
posted by mudpuppie at 11:21 AM on August 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
The good news is that if that's what it is, it's relatively harmelss -- just irritating, both literally and otherwise. The bad news is that they pretty much don't go away. Ever. :(
posted by mudpuppie at 11:21 AM on August 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I have had one of these cut out. It felt like someone sticking a finger in my eye when it was bad, which was frequent. It got that way because I was fixing my house for sale, and kept getting gunk in my eye. It won't get better. I'll be on lubricating eye drops in that eye for the rest of my life, but the pain's gone now the op's been done. They are benign signs of sun exposure until they become inflamed — the term is pingueculitis.
posted by Wolof at 4:00 AM on August 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Wolof at 4:00 AM on August 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: On the bright side...
posted by The Noble Goofy Elk at 7:37 PM on August 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by The Noble Goofy Elk at 7:37 PM on August 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Awwwww!! I'm glad you went to the doc (I'm assuming here, obviously)!
posted by PorcineWithMe at 8:08 PM on August 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by PorcineWithMe at 8:08 PM on August 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by mgrrl at 11:06 PM on August 6, 2015 [2 favorites]