How Your Ophthalmologist Can Help with Uveitis
Are you worried about your eyesight after receiving a uveitis diagnosis? Your ophthalmologist offers several treatments designed to calm the inflammation in your eyes and reduce the risk of vision loss.
All About Uveitis
Uveitis is an eye condition caused by inflammation in the middle part of your eye. Inflammation may sound like a minor problem, but uveitis can cause permanent vision loss if tissues inside your eye are damaged. Fortunately, treating uveitis as soon as possible can help you avoid changes to your eyesight.
Your specific diagnosis depends on which part of your eye is inflamed. Inflammation between the colored iris and clear cornea is called anterior uveitis.
If the gel-like vitreous inside your eye is inflamed, you have intermediate uveitis. Intermediate uveitis may affect the ciliary body, the ring-shaped structure that helps your lens change shape when focusing. The ciliary body also makes the aqueous humor, a clear liquid that fills the space in front of the eye's lens.
Posterior uveitis affects the retina, the cells that sense light at the back of the eye, and the choroid, the blood vessels that fill the space between the white part of the eye and the retina. Panuveitis inflames the anterior, intermediate and posterior parts of the middle eye.
Uveitis symptoms may be mild at first, but can quickly worsen. The condition may be more likely to occur if you've had an eye injury or eye surgery, or have a disease, infection, or condition, such as shingles, Lyme disease, lupus, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, cancer of the eye, rheumatoid arthritis, syphilis, toxoplasmosis, AIDS, tuberculosis, or psoriasis. People who smoke cigarettes are at increased risk of developing uveitis, according to the National Eye Institute. Uveitis can become chronic in some cases.
If you have the condition, you may notice these symptoms:
- Blurry Vision
- Eye Pain, Especially When You Move the Eye or Look at Close Objects
- Red Eyes
- Watery Eyes
- Light Sensitivity
- Floaters
- Small Pupils
Treating Uveitis
Don't wait and see if your symptoms get better on their own. Let your eye doctor know right away if you have the signs and symptoms listed above. If your examination confirms that you have uveitis, your ophthalmologist may recommend treatments that:
- Decrease Inflammation. Corticosteroids are often prescribed to reduce inflammation in the eye and decrease pain. You may use eye drops, take pills, or receive steroid injections in or around your eyes.
- Kill Germs. Antiviral or antibiotic medication may be prescribed if your condition was caused by bacteria or a virus.
- Manage Spasms. Dilating drops that open the pupils keep spasms under control and reduce pain.
- Suppress Your Immune System. If your eye doctor suspects that your symptoms occurred when your immune system mistakenly launched an attack on your tissues, a drug that suppresses the immune system, like methotrexate or azathioprine, may be prescribed. Immunotherapy may also be helpful when the cause of uveitis isn't known, as an immune system issue might be to blame, according to Prevent Blindness. Biologics may also be used to target receptors or proteins that trigger inflammation if other treatments aren't helpful.
- Replace Your Vitreous Humor. If inflammation affects the vitreous humor, surgery may be recommended. The vitreous humor fills the inside of the eye, helping it maintain its shape. During a vitrectomy, your ophthalmologist removes the vitreous humor and replaces it with another fluid. The surgery is only needed in severe or chronic cases that don't respond to other treatments.
- Add an Implant to Your Eye. Adding an implant to the back of the eye offers another option for stubborn or chronic cases. The implant slowly releases corticosteroids, providing a steady supply of the inflammation-fighting medication.
If an underlying disease or condition caused uveitis, your ophthalmologist may recommend following up with the doctor or specialist who treats your condition. Once your disease or condition is under control, you may notice an improvement in your uveitis symptoms.
Don't let uveitis damage your eyesight. Call our office to schedule an appointment to discuss your treatment options.
Sources:
National Eye Institute: Uveitis, 11/15/2023
https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/uveitis
Prevent Blindness: How Do Eye Doctors Treat Uveitis?
https://preventblindness.org/how-do-eye-doctors-treat-uveitis/
Review of Ophthalmology: Current Diagnosis and Management of Uveitis, 9/14/2022
https://www.reviewofophthalmology.com/article/current-diagnosis-and-management-of-uveitis
WebMD: How Your Uveitis Can Be Treated, 3/7/2023