First of all a point of information: 3-D movie glasses do fit over Max TV glasses. A friend and I went to lunch and a movie yesterday, and I was able to wear the 3-D specs as well as my Max TV lenses….just in case you were wondering. ?
As I said in another post, I was at the new retinologist last week. He found something new: a “freckle”.
I really hate it when they get cutesy. A personal peeve. ?….and yes I have a new documents app with all sorts of emoticons….I guess I consider it an insult like I would not know what a nevus is. Another reason I hate cutesy terms is it makes me wonder what the doctor is hiding.
A nevus is a mole. I probably have a couple of hundred skin nevi. I have always been a pretty mole-y person. Better than moldy; yes? [Lin/Linda: there’s no emoticon for ::groan:: or ::Linda rolls her eyes::]
According to WebMD, “freckles” or nevi in your eye are fairly common and generally not harmful. They do, however, have a less than 1% chance of becoming cancer, specifically melanoma. Melanoma is a type of cancer that begins in pigment-producing cells. Nevi are collections of pigment-producing cells. Makes sense.
While you can have nevi on the whites of your eye (conjunctiva) and the colored parts (irises), they can also occur inside on the choroid. That is where mine is. AMD and nevi occur more often in whites and older people. They may appear more in people with more sun exposure. However, I could not find anything that said choroid nevi and AMD are somehow connected, even if it were only a correlation.
Just the same, choroid nevi can sometimes have results similar to wet AMD. Paul Finger writing for eyecancer.com stated that rarely – that was RARELY – a choroid nevus can leak fluid or be associated with the growth of abnormal blood vessels. It can lead to a localized retinal detachment and/or degeneration. It is also possible for drusen to develop on top of a nevus. This is a sign the nevus is not allowing your eye to remove the metabolic waste, i.e. “eye poop”.
It is a good idea that you maintain regular eye care not only for your AMD but also for any nevi you might have. While there is no treatment – and no treatment required – for run-of-the-mill choroid nevi, your retinologist will be able to tell if there is a developing problem. An orange color, fluid leakage and increased thickness can mean trouble and that nevus should be watched closely.
So, yes, just one more thing that can go wrong with our eyes. But the good news is this: being told you have an eye “freckle” does not mean your retinologist is hiding anything by being cutesy. There is less than a 1% chance of real trouble. Regular eye exams will allow that nevus to be monitored and sunglasses will help the pigment in your eyes just like sunscreen helps to protect the pigment in your skin.
Now you know.
PS Finger reported choroid melanoma has been found more often in those with blue eyes and outdoor occupations. It has also been found more often in Australia. Apparently, there is a hole in the ozone over Australia and this allows more ultraviolet through.
So, to our friends down under, be careful and wear your shades!
Written November 19th, 2018
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