A bump on your eyeball is cause for concern but most of the time, it isn’t harmful.
This article takes a closer look at some types of eyeball bumps and their symptoms and causes.
It discusses treatments for a bump on your eyeball and when to see a healthcare provider for care.
Illustration by Jessica Olah for Verywell Health
The growth can be made up of fat, protein, or calcium.
Symptoms
A pinguecula presents as a yellow-colored raised growth.
Symptoms include:
Is It OK to Wear Contacts if You Have Pinguecula?
Youre probably better off not wearing your contact lenses.
Talk to yourophthalmologistto find out when to start wearing your contacts again.
Repeated exposure to sunny, windy, sandy conditions can cause this jot down of growth.
For some people, the repeated exposure is due to an occupation that keeps them working outdoors.
Wearing sunglasses can help to prevent a pinguecula from forming.
Your healthcare provider may recommend a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or prescribe steroid eye drops.
Cold compresses also can bring symptom relief.
In some cases, typically for cosmetic reasons, surgery may be needed to remove the growth.
A procedure calledargonlaser photocoagulationalso can be used with small, simpler cases of pinguecula.
Pterygium
Apterygiumis a growth that may start as a pinguecula.
It can also happen spontaneously.
The two may be difficult to tell apart for healthcare providers who aren’t eye specialists.
Consider seeing an eye specialist for diagnosis and treatment, so talk to your healthcare provider about options.
Sometimes, as mentioned, a pinguecula growth turns into a pterygium.
However, pterygia look different.
Theyre fleshy in color and contain blood vessels.
They can change your vision prescription and can, in rare cases, distort vision.
Like a pinguecula, a pterygium growth may also cause inflammation and discomfort in the eye.
A pterygium happens because of environmental exposure.
A pterygium is also called surfers eye (which may refer to pinguecula as well).
Treatment for this punch in of growth is the same as a pinguecula growth.
It’s important to get an accurate diagnosis.
If you notice a bump on your eyeball, dont assume its benign.
Make an appointment with an ophthalmologist to get a definitive diagnosis.
These tumors of the eye are most often melanoma-related.
Treatment depends on when the carcinoma is detected and how advanced it is.
In some cases, a healthcare provider may even take a wait-and-see approach with careful monitoring.
Some types of eye cancer respond well to chemotherapy drops.
This makes it more likely to interfere with your vision.
The bump typically has a pink-colored hue and is painless.
Treatment for conjunctival lymphoma typically involves removing the tumor.
However, they are not entirely uncommon.
Most of the time, treatment isnt necessary unless there is an infection or the growth interferes with vision.
If theres irritation, steroid eye drops can help.
If the growth is affecting vision, a doctor can surgically remove it.
Limbal dermoids may affect a childs vision and cause vision problems down the road.
Chemosis
Chemosis is a swelling of the conjunctiva brought on by irritation.
It is often a cause ofconjunctivitis(pink eye) that’s due to a virus.
This condition causes swelling that may look like a bump on the outer surface of the eyeball.
The swelling may be so severe that closing the eye is difficult.
This kind of eye swelling can happen because of an infection, allergies, or inflammation.
Physical irritation may also cause chemosis.
In some cases, it may be related to an underlying health condition likelupus.
Allergy medication and the system of a cold compress may help reduce swelling.
Swelling that starts to impair vision requires immediate attention.
Trauma is usually the reason for a painful scratched cornea, which should be assessed by a healthcare provider.
Treatment options vary depending on the reason for the bump on your eyeball.
In some cases, you may want to have it removed solely for cosmetic reasons.
Or, your healthcare provider may be concerned but wants to watch and see how a small growth progresses.
In other situations, you may require surgery, chemotherapy, and other options.
You should get regular eye exams to keep tabs on your eye healtheven if you dont wear glasses.
Kim KH, Kim WS.Chronic unilateral chemosis following the use of amlodipine besylate.BMC Ophthalmol.
2014;14:124. doi:10.1186/1471-2415-14-124
Boyd, K.What is eye lymphoma?American Academy of Ophthalmology.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is a pinguecula and a pterygium (surfers eye).
2019 Jun 9;2019:6438157. doi:10.1155/2019/6438157.
Hirst LW, Smith J.Accuracy of diagnosis of pterygium by optometrists and general practitioners in Australia.Clin Exp Optom.
2020 Mar;103(2):197-200. doi:10.1111/cxo.12916.
Chu WK, Choi HL, Bhat AK, Jhanji V.Pterygium: new insights.Eye (Lond).
2020 Jun;34(6):1047-1050. doi:10.1038/s41433-020-0786-3.
2022 May 1;146(5):632-646. doi:10.5858/arpa.2021-0006-RA.
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.Corneal and conjunctival tumors.
Shields, CL.Conjunctival melanoma: Rare but deadly.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Sein, J, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of conjunctival lymphoma.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.
American Academy of Opthalmology.Eye lymphoma symptoms.
Wills Eye Hospital.Conjunctival lymphoma.
Abdulmannan DM.Successful Management of Limbal Dermoid in Infancy and Childhood: A Case Series.Cureus.
2022 Mar 4;14(3):e22835.
Columbia University Department of Ophthalmology.Limbal dermoid.
Diseases Treatment Dictionary.Dermoid cyst causes, complications and treatment.
Azari AA, Arabi A.Conjunctivitis: A Systematic Review.J Ophthalmic Vis Res.
2020 Aug 6;15(3):372-395. doi: 10.18502/jovr.v15i3.7456.
2022 Feb 15;2022:4912092. doi:10.1155/2022/4912092.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Chalazion and stye symptoms.
