Pterygium
"Pterygium" in a Sentence (2 examples)
The reason why your corneas are getting covered with pterygium—what is called "the Surfer's Eye"—is because you are exposing yourself too much to the sun and the wind.
Research has shown that UV radiation increases the likelihood of certain cataracts. Although curable with modern eye surgery, cataracts diminish the eyesight of millions of Americans and cost billions of dollars in medical care each year. Other kinds of eye damage include pterygium (tissue growth that can block vision), skin cancer around the eyes, and degeneration of the macula (the part of the retina where visual perception is most acute). All of these problems can be lessened with proper eye protection. Look for sunglasses, glasses or contact lenses if you wear them, that offer 99 to 100 percent UV protection.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.