A brown spot on the eye can be caused by several things, and while it can be benign, it merits a visit with your eye care practitioner.
Eye freckles are one cause of a brown spot in the eye. Otherwise known as a "nevus", an eye freckle forms when pigment cells clump together. While eye freckles are typically present at birth, they can appear later in life. Most eye freckles are benign but may progress to eye cancer.
Ocular melanoma is another cause of a brown spot on the eye. People with light skin and light-colored eyes are possibly at higher risk. Exposure to UV light from sunlight or tanning beds are also possible risk factors. Ocular melanoma can cause eye pain and pressure and the spot may become bigger or raised. It can also cause the eye to become red or irritated and cause flashing lights in the visual field or blurry vision.
Melanosis is the other cause of brown spots and these spots occur on the conjunctiva. Complexion-associated melanosis (CAM) usually affects people with dark skin tones while Primary acquired melanosis (PAM) is generally associated with lighter skin toned people. Melanosis can become cancerous so regular monitoring is crucial.
So if you notice a brown spot on your eye, it's important to make an appointment with your eye doctor to rule out any malignant cause.
