Uveitis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

The uvea includes the iris, ciliary body and choroid, so uveitis is broader than iritis alone. It can affect one or both eyes and recur. Some posterior forms reduce vision without marked pain.

Related reading: Keratitis and causes of a painful eye.

Symptoms include redness, aching and light sensitivity, or floaters and blurred or reduced vision. Presentation varies with the affected area. Lack of redness does not exclude posterior inflammation.

Immune-mediated disease, infection, injury or surgery may be involved, and sometimes no cause is found. Uveitis does not always establish systemic autoimmune disease; investigations follow the history and inflammatory pattern.

Certain inflammatory diseases, infections and injuries increase risk, although there may be no recognized trigger. Assessment follows individual history and the pattern of inflammation rather than age or eye color alone.

An ophthalmologist assesses vision, eye pressure, slit-lamp findings and the retina. Imaging and targeted infection or systemic-disease tests may follow. General blood tests alone cannot replace an eye examination.

Treatment may use drops, injections or systemic medicines according to cause and location. Anti-inflammatory treatment, pupil-dilating drops or infection-directed therapy may be appropriate. Do not start, stop or adjust steroid drops yourself; dosing and eye pressure require monitoring.

Possible complications include raised eye pressure, cataract, macular swelling, adhesions and permanent visual impairment. Both disease and treatment can contribute, so monitoring remains important after symptoms settle.

Not every case is preventable. Attend follow-up, manage known underlying disease and protect against eye injury. Agree on a relapse plan instead of automatically reusing an old prescription for another red eye.