Know Symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment of uveitis
Uveitis is a medical condition of the middle layer of our eye. When the portion of middle eye called uvea gets inflamed (along with surrounding tissues), it is called uveitis. It is characterised by red eye, blurring or cloudy vision, floaters and sensitivity to any light source.
Uvea is the area of eye with rich vascular supply. It includes pigmented structures of the eye such as ciliary body, iris and choroid. When it is inflamed it can damage the blood vessels of the middle eye leading to permanent loss of sight or vision.
Uveitis may continue for long-term and the inflammation may take a longer time to heal completely. Eye medications are to be continued for uveitis as per the doctor's advice.
The cause of uveitis is generally not known. It is believed that some bacteria or viruses may be responsible for causing infection into the middle eye. Some factors such as autoimmune diseases, simplex infections, shingles, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus etc. and other eye conditions may increase the risk of uveitis.
Uveitis if left untreated may cause blindness.
Early detection and treatment of uveitis can help prevent serious complications and save the eyesight.
What are the types of uveitis infection?
The type of infection is classified on the basis of the part of the uvea inflamed.
- Anterior uveitis: It is the inflammation of the uvea near to the eye's front portion..
- Intermediate uveitis: It is the inflammation of the uvea in the middle portion of the uvea.
- Posterior uveitis: It is the inflammation of the uvea in the back of the eye, or the last portion of the uvea.
What are the signs and symptoms of uveitis?
The signs and symptoms of uveitis include:
- Redness of the eyeball surrounding the iris or black portion in the middle of the eye
- Seeing floaters or visual pecks all of a sudden in the visual field
- Painful red eye or red eye without pain
- Eyes feel sensitive to light
- Sudden blurring of the vision/cloudiness
See your doctor immediately if these symptoms are noticed. Early treatment is the best thing one can do for curing uveitis and preventing eye damage.
What are the causes of uveitis?
The exact cause of uveitis is not known. Experts believe it might be secondary to some infection caused by viruses or bacteria. Some risk factors may be responsible for the causation of uveitis.
- Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, etc.
- Diabetes
- History of cancer such as eye lymphoma
- Previous infection of shingles or herpes simplex virus, small pox virus, etc.
- Smoking
- Toxoplasmosis
- Histopathological incompatibility
What are the complications of uveitis?
Uveitis can cause severe complications if left untreated.
The complications of uveitis are:
- uveitic glaucoma
- cataract
- decreased eye sight
- damage to the optic nerve
- detachment of the retina
- permanent loss of vision/blindness
Should we worry about uveitis?
Uveitis is the inflammation of the middle eye which is the most vascular layer of eye and damage to the blood vessels may cause serious complications including permanent loss of vision.
Uveitis must be detected early and the person should get prompt treatment to preserve the eyesight.
How is uveitis diagnosed?
Uveitis can be diagnosed by assessing the physical symptoms and history of present complains.
Eye exam : It include the examining the eye through slit lamp, ophthalmoscopy post dilated fundus examination. In dilated fundus examinations few drops of mydriatic ophthalmic solutions are instilled into the eyes to dilate the pupil. This enhances better view of the inside of the eye through an ophthalmoscope or fundoscope.
Visualisation of the eye fluids, inner and middle eye scan may help notice any remarkable changes pertaining to uveitis, corneal bumps due to the keratin deposits or presence of the wbcs in the middle eye fluid may also be diagnostic of uveitis.
To rule out the possible cause of uveitis, the doctor may order some blood investigations to see if there is any presence of autoimmune diseases such as RA. Genetic cause may be excluded by performing the antigen test for certain genetic presence. History of other illness may also help to reach the diagnosis of uveitis.
What is the treatment of Uveitis?
Uveitis can be treated by topical eye medications such as eye drops and steroids or other immunosuppressant medications. Your doctor may refer you to a rheumatologist if the rheumatoid arthritis is actively present. You may need to take medications for an existing illness that can be a cause of your uveitis, after thorough investigations and advice from your doctor.
The symptoms may take few weeks to months to subside. Complete healing may take quite a long time.
Can uveitis be treated naturally?
It cannot be treated naturally. However some experts believe that certain herbs and supplements such as turmeric, Vitamin A and C and D in good levels may help improve the eye health and may provide some relief from symptoms.
Rich vitamin A sources such as guava, gooseberries, carrot and yellow-colored fruits are known to improve the eyesight.
What can be done to prevent uveitis from coming back?
- Manage the stress levels. Try to relax by using meditation and or other relaxation techniques.
- Take good care of your eye. See this Tips to improve eye health.
- Get regular treatment for underlying cause.
- Continue the medications as recommended by your doctor and visit for scheduled checkups
- Follow a healthy well balanced diet.
Is uveitis and conjunctivitis the same eye condition? What is the difference?
Uveitis and conjunctivitis or red/pink eye are two different eye conditions. In uveitis, it is the middle layer of the eye that is infected, the structures of middle eye such as iris, choroid and ciliary body are infected. The cause may be autoimmune diseases or any associated risk factor. The complications of uveitis are more severe than conjunctivitis and may causes permanent loss of vision if untreated.
Conjunctivitis on the other hand is an inflammation of the outer layer of eye, a part called conjunctiva is inflamed. The cause of conjunctivitis is mostly a bacterial or viral or in some cases fungal infection. It is not caused by any autoimmune response. It can be easily treated and does not cause any severe complications such as vision loss.
Uveitis is incurable but the condition can be effectively managed once it is diagnosed. Treatment may be a long-term as the healing may take a little longer. Once the underlying cause is determined active medical regime to treat the conditions may reduce the severity of the symptoms and prevent any complications. It is always recommended to quit smoking, take care of eye to prevent any further damage and prevent any complications. Continuing the medications as ordered by the doctor and visiting the health facility for scheduled checkups may help in keeping track of the condition.
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Note: This post is for educational and informational purpose only. It is not a substitute for any medical advice or treatment. Seek the medical help in any case.
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