Would you like to switch to the accessible version of this site?

Go to accessible site Close modal window

Don't need the accessible version of this site?

Hide the accessibility button Close modal window
Accessibility View Close toolbar
VH

Our Location

(707) 206-0290

Open mobile navigation
  • Home
  • New Patient Center
    • Online Forms
    • Insurance and Payments
  • About Us
    • Meet the Optometrist
  • Eyecare Services
    • Contact Lens Exams
    • Eye and Vision Exams
    • Lasik Eye Surgery
    • Hard to Fit Contacts
    • Computer Vision Treatment
    • Sports Vision
    • Sunglasses
  • Frames
    • Designer Frames
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
    • Appointment Request
  • Community Content
  • Home >
  • Articles >
  • Newsletters >
  • What Are Eye Freckles and Are They Harmless?

What Are Eye Freckles and Are They Harmless?

  • Created in Newsletters

Woman with eye freckles

Are Eye Freckles a Reason to Worry?

Freckles can appear anywhere on your body, including your eyes. Although eye freckles are often harmless, they can be a sign of cancer in some cases.

How Do Eye Freckles Form?

A freckle develops when melanocytes clump together in your eye. Melanocytes are cells that give your hair, eyes, and skin their color. Freckles are particularly common in the iris, the colored part of your eye. In fact, about half of all people have flecks of color in their irises, according to WebMD.

You may also have a slightly bigger type of freckle called a nevus (or nevi if you have more than one). Freckles on your skin are usually brown, but nevi can be brown, yellow, or gray. They may also be made up of multiple colors. Nevi can be present at birth or develop later in life.

What Parts of the Eye Do Nevi Have an Effect On?

Nevi can appear in these parts of your eye:

  • Choroid. These nevi are located under the retina, the layer of light-sensing cells at the back of the eye. Although you cannot see a choroidal nevus by looking in the mirror, your optometrist can see it when he or she looks in your eyes during an eye examination. A choroid nevus could be a sign that you have melanoma, a form of skin cancer, although that's usually not the case. In fact, only 1 in 500 choroidal nevi become cancerous in 10 years, according to the Ocular Melanoma Foundation.
  • Iris. Iris nevi are larger than iris freckles and are found in the stroma, one of the layers that make up the iris. These freckles sometimes get bigger, although they're usually not cancerous.
  • Conjunctiva. A nevus may also appear in the conjunctiva, the clear layer of tissue that covers the inside of your eyelids and the whites of your eyes. These nevi are usually harmless but could become cancerous.

How Are Eye Freckles Treated?

In most cases, there's no need to treat an eye freckle. Your optometrist will monitor your freckle to make sure that it has not gotten any bigger. If that happens, your eye doctor may recommend a few tests that will determine if the nevus has become cancerous. Tests may also be needed if a choroidal nevus turns orange, becomes raised, or begins to leak fluid, as these symptoms could be signs of melanoma, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Surgery can be used to remove nevi, although eye doctors like to avoid removal if possible, as a surgical procedure could damage your eyesight. Laser therapy and radiation can be helpful in treating cancerous freckles.

Be sure to let your optometrist know if you notice a change in a freckle, you are having trouble with your vision, or you are seeing flashing lights. Don't wait for your annual eye examination to report these changes. Call the eye doctor's office right away.

How Can I Prevent Eye Freckles?

Although most eye freckles can't be prevented, there's a possibility that ultraviolet light could play a role in the development of choroidal nevi, according to the AAO.

Wearing sunglasses year-round is a simple way to reduce your risk. Look for sunglasses that block both ultraviolet A and B rays. Wrap-around styles offer the best protection from the effects of the sun.

Are you concerned about an eye freckle? Give our office a call and we'll arrange a convenient appointment for you.

Sources:

American Academy of Ophthalmology: Nevus (Eye Freckle), 10/28/20

WebMD: What Are Eye Freckles?, 8/6/19

Ocular Melanoma Foundation: Understanding Choroidal Nevi

  • Common Eye Conditions
    • Age-Related
    • Eye Lids
    • Cognitive and Acquired
    • Vision Impairment
    • Injury & Irritation
    • Changes in Appearance
  • Contact Lenses
  • Eye Diseases
  • Eyeglasses
    • Eyeglass Lenses
  • Eye Symptoms
  • How the Eyes Work
    • Basic Visual Skills
  • Pediatric Vision
  • Protecting Your Eyes
  • Visual Rehabilitation
  • Vision Problems
  • What is Vision Therapy
  • Vision Therapy Programs
  • We Can Help With
    • Cataracts
    • Corneal Disorders
      • Disorders
    • Glaucoma
    • Refractive Disorders
    • Adult Strabismus
    • Retinal Disorders
  • Newsletters
    • Amazing, Interesting Eyes
    • Medical Perspectives
    • Kid's Vision
    • Conditions That Affect Vision
    • Tips for Healthy Eyes
    • Contacts
    • Glasses & Frames

Contact Us

We look forward to hearing from you.

Hours of Operation

Our Regular Schedule

Rohnert Park Office

Monday:

11:00 am-4:00 pm

Tuesday:

10:00 am-7:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am-7:00 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Locations

Find us on the map

    No testimonials found. Please add

Featured Articles

  • Healthy Vision Month

    Get ready for Healthy Vision Month by upgrading your vision habits. ...

    Read More
  • Presbyopia eye drops

    Would you like to stop squinting when you look at close objects? A new kind of eyedrops can improve presbyopia, an age-related vision problem. ...

    Read More
  • Dry Eye

    Sometimes your eyes don’t make enough tears or the tears evaporate too fast because they don’t have the right amount of compounds in them. This is called dry eye. Up to 5% of Americans complain of some form of dry eye. Individuals who wear contact lenses or have undergone LASIK or other types of ...

    Read More
  • Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

    Similar to a bruise under the skin, a subconjunctival hemorrhage happens when a small blood vessel located between the sclera (white portion of an eye) and the conjunctiva (lining on the surface of an eye) breaks and covers the sclera with blood. Unlike broken blood vessels located under the skin which ...

    Read More
  • Decorative (Plano) Contact Lenses

    Colored contact lenses allow you to temporarily change your eye color whether or not you need to correct impaired vision. In this way, you can create a more subtle eye appearance, wear a crazy design for special occasions, or just enjoy a new eye color. Will Colored Contacts Change the Way I See? Yes, ...

    Read More
  • Wandering Eye

    A wandering eye is a type of eye condition known as strabismus or tropia, and it may be caused by damage to the retina or muscles that control the eye, stroke or brain injury, or an uncorrected refractive error like farsightedness. With a wandering eye, one eye deviates or wanders in a different direction ...

    Read More
  • Reading and Writing

    For many adults, reading and writing come so naturally that they seem almost effortless. However, reading and writing are actually complicated skills that take significant effort to learn. For example, reading involves recognizing letters, associating letter combinations with their corresponding sounds, ...

    Read More
  • Lazy Eye

    Lazy eye, also referred to as amblyopia, is a condition that develops in infancy or early childhood, and it typically starts when the focus in one eye is more enhanced than the other. The eye with less focus might be impaired due to a significant amount of farsightedness or astigmatism, or something ...

    Read More
  • Dyslexia

    Dyslexia When a child has difficulty reading due to problems recognizing speech sounds and learning how they connect to words and letters, the condition is known as dyslexia, a learning disorder caused by genetic traits that disturb how the brain works. It affects areas of the brain dealing with language ...

    Read More
  • Crossed Eyes

    Crossed eyes, also known as strabismus, refer to a condition in which both eyes do not look at the same place at the same time. Often times they both turn in, but may also turn out. What Causes Crossed Eyes? The six muscles attached to each eye, which control how it moves, receive signals from the brain. ...

    Read More

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for more articles!

  • Copyright © 2022 MH Sub I, LLC dba iMatrix.
  • Admin Log In
  • Site Map