Understanding Uveitis: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

Sign In

All Posts Conditions Community About

Explore Over 11,000+ Conditions, Medications, and Symptoms.

Get a personalized feed by signing up for free.

All Conditions

Uveitis

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

General

Uveitis is a form of eye inflammation. It affects the middle layer of tissue in the eye wall (uvea). Uveitis warning signs often come on suddenly and get worse quickly. They include eye redness, pain and blurred vision. The condition can affect one or both eyes, and it can affect people of all ages, even children. Possible causes of uveitis are infection, injury, or an autoimmune or inflammatory disease. Uveitis can be serious, leading to permanent vision loss. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent complications and preserve vision.

86 people with Uveitis

Learn from others who are experiencing Uveitis.

Signs & symptoms

The signs, symptoms and characteristics of uveitis may include: - Eye redness - Eye pain - Light sensitivity - Blurred vision - Dark, floating spots in field of vision (floaters) - Decreased vision

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Uveitis includes a few tests: - Eye exam - Eye chart exam - Blood tests - Dilation of eyes in order to look inside - Ocular pressure reading, it looks for another eye condition called glaucoma. - Slit lamp exam, it’ll help to spot signs of inflammation.

Treatment

If uveitis is caused by an underlying condition, treatment may focus on that specific condition. Usually the treatment for uveitis is the same regardless of the associated cause, as long as it is not infectious. The goal of treatment is to reduce the inflammation in your eye, as well as in other parts of the body, if present. In some cases, treatment may be necessary for months to years. Several treatment options are available. Medications includes: - Drugs that reduce inflammation: Eye drops with an anti-inflammatory medication, such as a corticosteroid. Eye Drops are usually not enough to treat inflammation beyond the front of the eye, so a corticosteroid injection in or around the -eye or corticosteroid tablets (taken by mouth) may be necessary. - Drugs that control spasms: Eye Drops that widen (dilate) the pupil may be prescribed to control spasms in the iris and ciliary body, which can help relieve eye pain. - Drugs that fight bacteria or viruses: If uveitis is caused by an infection, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics, antiviral medications or other medicines, with or without corticosteroids, to bring the infection under control. - Drugs that affect the immune system or destroy cells: Immunosuppressive drugs if the uveitis affects both eyes, doesn't respond well to corticosteroids or becomes severe enough to threaten the vision.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

Latest Discussions

mysteryillness

Struggling with Health Issues and No Answers

breakingglad

Introducing myself as a new Spoonie!

Yorkiemama

Weight Gain on Remicade/Inflectra: Anyone Else?

shells22

Looking for Support with Autoimmune Disorder Diagnosis

squeaks84

How to Know if My Condition Gets Better?

Hotrock51

Complications after uvelectomy surgery

Alike Wisdom

Instantly get answers to medical questions with our AI, built from the collective wisdom of our community facing similar experiences