Best
Uveitis Treatment
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What is Uveitis?

Uveitis is also known as ocular inflammation. It refers to a condition where there is inflammation in the middle layer of the eye, called uvea. The inflammation can extend to the areas around the uvea like the retina, or the vitreous too.

Working of a normal eye is similar to that of a camera. In a normal eye where the lens is clear, the light enters through the lens and focuses on the thin film called the retina located at the back of the eye. This light is then captured by the eye and signals are sent to the brain to form the image that we see.

What causes Uveitis?

Uveitis is an autoimmune reaction to ocular antigens. It can be caused by a virus, parasite or bacteria. To diagnose Uveitis, the ophthalmologist will recommend some lab tests or image tests. However, the cause of Uveitis often goes unnoticed.

What are the types of Uveitis?

Depending upon the location of the inflammation Uveitis is categorized into four types:

• Anterior uveitis - This is the most common form of Uveitis that affects the frontal eye between the cornea and the iris. Symptoms include red and watery eyes, reduced vision, photophobia, and pain in eye.
• Intermediate Uveitis - It involves intraoculary inflammation in the uveal tract where the middle part of the middle layer is affected. It leads to loss of vision, due to fluid accumulation in the central part of the retina. Patients may also experience seeing black spots in the frontal eye.
• Posterior Uveitis - Also known as choroditis, it affects the posterior part of the middle layer. It generally affects the retina or the choroid or sometimes both.
• Panuveitis - Panuveitis refers to inflammation in the entire uveal tract or the vitreous cavity, located at the back of the eye, causing distinctive blurred vision, redness and varying degrees of pain in the eyes.

What are the treatment options?

There is no permanent cure for uveitis. Depending upon the cause, severity and location of the inflammation each episode is managed using eye drops, oral medication or injection under the eye.

To relieve the pain, eye drops are prescribed. The drops help to dilate the pupil and temporarily paralyze the sphincter muscle. While this may relieve the pain, the patient can develop farsightedness and experience increased discomfort in bright light. Hence, patients are advised to wear black glasses while going out during the daytime.

In case of inflammation, steroids are either injected or given in oral form as a tablet. An anti-inflammatory steroid hormone is slowly injected into the eye to provide relief. Immunosuppressants or oral drugs such as steroids are administered only in severe cases. Though these drugs have potential side effects, they are not very serious and the effects fade away once the treatment is discontinued.

Can uveitis recur?

Recurrence of uveitis is possible and its severity and frequency is unpredictable. But early diagnosis makes it easier to manage and leads to better outcomes.