17/09/2021
Uveitis
Uveitis means inflammation inside the eye. It affects the part of the eye called the uvea which consists of the iris, ciliary body and choroid.
Uveitis can cause serious problems and vision loss but with prompt treatment it can be controlled in most people. Some cases require specialist care as MCM eye unit offers.
Who gets it?
It is unknown why most people get uveitis. It can develop in people who are completely healthy.
However, there is a greater risk of uveitis in people with other inflammatory or autoimmune problems such as inflammatory bowel disease and inflammatory arthritis.
In some cases, uveitis is caused by an infection. Your ophthalmologist may
request investigations to check for an underlying cause.
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms depend on the type of uveitis present (whether it mainly affects the front or the back of the eye).
The most common symptoms are redness, light sensitivity, eye ache, and blur. It usually affects one eye, but in some people, both eyes will be involved
Treatment
There is no known cure for uveitis, but in most cases, it can be treated very effectively with a course of steroid eye drops over four to six weeks.
Severe cases involving the back of the eye usually require oral/injectable treatment as eye drops cannot pe*****te well. into the back of the eye.