Although eye freckles are a rare sight, they create curiosity. It is quite common to spot freckles and moles on the skin, but freckles in the eyes are, indeed, a surprising sight. Are eye freckles present for a reason? Are they harmful? Do they create vision changes? Numerous questions pop into our minds while looking at those tiny coloured freckles in the eyes. In this blog, we will explore everything about eye freckles, including their causes, types, and treatments in detail.
What are Eye Freckles?
Eye freckles, also known as ‘nevus,’ are very similar to the moles on our bodies. They appear like a post, freckle or mole at different places in the eyes. Eye freckles are simply pigmented spots, typically in a flat shape, that are found in the eyes. They are harmless, and there is nothing wrong with your eyes if you develop a freckle in the eye. It is essential to remember that most of the freckles in the eyes are simply normal, and there’s nothing to worry about.
However, you should keep a check on the growth of eye freckles, as in some rare cases, they have the potential to develop into melanoma (skin cancer). If you experience any changes in your eyes or witness the sudden development of eye freckles, reach out to an eye doctor. They will conduct a comprehensive eye test and will be able to tell you about the freckles in your eyes and their type.
Types of Eye Freckles
Here are different types of eye freckles that you must know to diagnose the medical condition.
Conjunctival Nevus
Conjunctival nevi are freckles present on the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the clear, thin membrane in the front of the eyes that covers the entire eyeball. It is quite a common type of eye freckle. Their colour ranges from yellow to brown, though it can lighten or darken over time. Conjunctival nevus doesn’t usually prove to be cancerous, but merely a spot. But, you’ve got to keep them checked over time.
Iris Freckles
Iris freckles, as the name suggests, are located on the coloured part of the eye itself. You’ll find spots or freckles on the iris, but in tiny sizes. They are mostly present in dark brown colour. It’s caused by increased melanin pigment at one spot. Fortunately, they are harmless and don’t usually transform into melanoma.
Iris Nevus
Iris nevus is also like iris freckles, but it appears as a dark brown spot on the coloured Iris. However, the main difference is that the size of the Iris nevus is bigger than Iris freckles. Thus, it is also known as the large eye freckle and may develop down into the stroma region of the Iris and grow over time, but they are also not cancerous.
Choroidal Nevus
Eye freckle in the eyes is called choroidal nevi. It’s also known as an eye freckle under the eyes or on the retina. It is found under the retinal layer of tissue called the choroid. Choroidal nevi are very hard to distinguish and can only be recognised during an eye test. These freckles under the eye come in colours like grey, yellow, brown and many other colours. Choroidal freckles can be harmless, but if the size of the eye freckle enlarges and takes on an orange hue, it can turn into malignant melanoma (a type of eye cancer).
What Can Eye Freckles Tell About Your Health?
Eye freckles are usually benign, but they may serve as a warning sign for sun-related health problems. For instance, the presence of iris freckles may indicate sun damage to the skin, something that can culminate in skin cancer. However, further research is important in the area.
Another research study published in the journal Dermatologic Therapy found that participants with precancerous skin alterations are more likely to have eye freckles than participants who did not have precancerous skin changes. However, the medical community is yet to get conclusive evidence.
Last but not least, eye freckles may also help inform healthcare providers about the role of sunlight in conditions like cataracts and macular degeneration. However, it is noteworthy to mention that the concept of eye freckles requires robust and thorough investigation.
How to Diagnose Freckles in the Eyes?
Eye freckles are not associated with any preemptive symptoms. Thus, you can only detect it through routine eye tests. Ophthalmologists all over the world use imaging technology like OCT to inspect the eyes more closely in the cases of choroidal nevi. Photography can help you see eye freckles in the most precise way. Even ophthalmologists take pictures of your eye freckle and compare them over time to inspect the change in the size or shape.
The key is to visit your optician every six months to help you get a possible warning. If there's no change in the eye freckle in a year or two, then the risk of developing melanoma is comparatively low. However, it can become cancerous as you age; hence, the timely checkups should never stop.
What’s Eye Freckle Treatment?
An eye freckle, if it's harmless, doesn’t require any treatment. It’s simply a spot on your eyes that doesn’t impact your vision or create any health problems. Hence, treatment isn’t your worry. If there’s a chance to develop melanoma and something along those lines is suggested by an ophthalmologist, then treatment becomes necessary.
The treatment of eye freckles is a very rare case and a critical procedure where the emerging freckles can be removed from the outer wall of the eyes by surgery. It is conducted by professionals. Other treatments for the freckles involve radiation, surgery, laser therapy, or removal of the freckles. Other treatments for the freckles involve radiation, surgery, laser therapy, or removal of the freckles.
Final Thoughts
As discussed above, eye freckles are rare, but they appear extremely beautiful. A person with eye freckles does not have to worry, as it is not cancerous in most cases. However, it is advised to go for regular eye checkups to keep a close eye on the condition of eye freckles. Also, it is important to wear 100% UV protection sunglasses as freckles are often caused due to UV exposure from the sun. You can explore our range of sunglasses and get the one that complements you. All our sunglasses come with 100% protection against harmful UVA/B rays, so that you are safe and look stylish wherever you go.
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