Doctors warn Aussies it's not just odd moles you need to check to avoid deadly melanoma

Australians are routinely told to cover up and get moles checked to avoid skin cancer, but there's another form of potentially deadly melanoma doctors are warning about.

Skin cancer in the eye, or ocular melanoma, is a "nasty" diagnosis and Aussies are being warned to take extra precautions as UV index levels hit extreme over summer.

Queensland mother-of-two Susan Vine was 37 when she went to a doctor about blurry vision and headaches.

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"I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma of the iris and the following Wednesday my eye was removed," Vine told 9News.

"I was stunned, I grew up with a large freckle in my eye.

"Suddenly it was a great big melanoma."

The Cancer Council said about 400 Australians were diagnosed with ocular melanoma last year.

Eye surgeon Dr Bill Glasson said ocular melanoma was one of the "nastiest tumours" you can get in the eye. The survival rate is just 50 per cent in a five-year period.

"If we pick them up early they are very treatable, if we pick them up late you might lose your eye or your life," Glasson told 9News.

Those who don't get regular eye tests should book in for a check-up, particularly if you're over 40 or have a pale complexion and light hair.

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Kerry Gallagher, the CEO of the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists, says people need to be cautious when out in the sun.

"UV levels have reached a seasonal high... and while we all know to slip slop slap, it's also worth it to slide on your sunglasses and also seek shade," he told 9News.

The risk of developing ocular melanoma increases with higher UV indexes and hot temperatures, so doctors are doubling down on warnings.

Anything over a UV index of three can be harmful, however recent levels over 11-13 are considered extreme.

Australians have been urged to take their sunglasses with them when they step out into the sun this summer. Experts say close-fitting, wrap-around sunglasses are the most effective.

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What are the symptoms of Ocular melanoma?

Ocular melanoma can be hard to diagnose as it grows in areas you can't see with the naked eye. Usually, it can present itself as asymptomatic and needs to be detected by an optometrist, but some people may experience the following symptoms.

• poor or blurred vision in one eye

• loss of peripheral vision

• brown or dark patches on the white of the eye

• a dark spot on the iris

• small specks, wavy lines or 'floaters' in your vision

• flashes in your vision

• a change in the shape of the pupil