Those who work and play outdoors in sunny, windy, and dusty conditions without wearing protective eyewear commonly develop non-cancerous growths on their corneas (the clear front window of the eye) and conjunctivas (the membrane that covers the white part of the eye, the sclera). Similar to a callus on the skin, a “pinguecula” is a yellowish patch or bump consisting of a deposit of protein, fat, and/or calcium that usually appears on the side of the eye closest to the nose. The triangular-shaped growth of fleshy tissue known as a “pterygium” that develops on the sclera may eventually extend over the cornea and grow large enough to interfere with vision. Although these growths may be removed surgically, a pterygium may return.
P.S. A pterygium can often develop from a pinguecula.