Red spot in the white part of one eye

[Neil_19]

Hi, I have a circular red spot in the white part of one eye. The spot is probably a .75 centimeters in diameter or so. The redness of the spot varies, from being mostly unnoticeable to really red. There is no pain, but when the spot is more red it tends to make the eye more sensitive and uncomfortable.

This spot has been on my eye for a long time (at least like 3-4 years). I used to think it was my contacts, but I stopped wearing them long ago and it's still there. Eyedrops help temporarily, but once they wear off the spot will be even more red for a while afterwards.

I've seen 2 doctors about it and they disagree as to what it is. One said it was an allergy thing (I have some allergies to dust, etc.), and another said it was just an abnormal cluster of blood vessels on the eye. I've tried a few different prescription eyedrops, but none have had more than a temporary effect.

Any idea as to what this is? Could it be an abrasion caused by the inside of my eyelid? The spot is always worse in the morning or whenever I wake up from a nap. Also, is there some way I can get rid of this--maybe laser surgery or something? It's rahter unsightly and makes me self-conscious a lot of the time.

Thanks for any help!!!

Neil

[carolynmmm]

I had a brownish red spot that apeared and the doctor said it was  just "pigment". Im not entirely satisfied with that explanation. Does that sound normal?

[Eye Guy]

Many things can form over a short period of time.  You will find a lot of things that pop up on your body that you were not born with. Skin growths, pigmented spots, etc. This probalbly is not anything to be too concerned about, but getting it looked at by an eye doctor is the best you can do, unless other things develop.

[Neil_19]

It's flat. The thing that confuses me about it is that I've had it for a few years now, but I haven't always had it. So if it's a cluter of blood vessels, why wasn't it there from birth?

[Eye Guy]

I would just not overdue it with the squats, and just pay more attention to what seems to happen before you notice the red spot.  Ag-i-doc is referring to a small raised fleshy growth on the eye. Is your spot flat or raised?

Centrum silver is for people over 50. Just a regular multivitamin should be fine.

[Neil_19]

I do a whole body workout, including squats and bench press, but have only been doing squats for a few months now. I take protein powder as a supplement but that's about it. I also take a centrum silver at night before bed.

[Ag-i-doc]

could be an inflamed pinguecula...

[Eye Guy]

Yes, lifting weights can cause stress on the tiny threadlike blood vessles in the eye.  Try to notice what you did within an 8 hour time frame before this occurs.  Are you doing squats or just bench pressing?  How much do you lift?  Are you taking any vitamin supplements?  Vitamin E can thin the blood. Sometimes you just can't explain why things happen, but if you break it down you might hit on it.

[Neil_19]

Also very healthy, overall.

[Neil_19]

I'm 23, never any surgery or eye injuries. I do lift weights and use a computer/read a book quite a bit, but it seems that even when I don't use the computer/read, the spot remains. (I didn't do either of those much this summer, for example. Surely less than 3 hours.)

Do you think that lifting weights could lead to this kind of a condition?

[Eye Guy]

If the spot is concentrated in one area I would probable agree with the cluster of blood vessles theory.  The duration of the spot rules out a sub-conjunctival hemorrhage.  A more diffuse area with deep redness could be epi-scleritis.

Did you have an injury to the eye?  do you read or drive for more than 3 hours at a time? do you lift heavy weights?  Are you healthy otherwise?   How old are you?  Have you ever had any eye surgery?