Uveitis is an infection in the uvea, the middle layer of your eye. It may be triggered by any of a number of underlying conditions, it may be due to an injury, or it can happen for unknown reasons. It can affect a specific part of the eye or multiple parts, and it may target one or both eyes. Symptoms depend on the area it affects: it can be painful, cause redness and irritation, or even lead to vision loss.
Along with the infection comes inflammation and swelling of the tissues. However, your eyeball occupies a small space, so there’s not a lot of room for tissue to swell. That means it’s easy for the swelling to change the shape of your eye. Since eye shape determines how well you see, even small changes from inflamed tissue can interfere with your sight.
Uveitis is a relatively common condition. About 4 million new cases are diagnosed around the world every year, with 80,000-168,000 cases in the United States. It’s more common in adults, and the odds of developing it increase with age.
At Retina Specialists, our team of expert ophthalmologists diagnoses and treats uveitis in their patients in and around the Dallas, Texas, area. Their goal is to effectively treat the eye while preserving your vision. Here’s what you need to know about this condition.
Uveitis is classified into three main areas: anterior, intermediate, and posterior, and the symptoms vary depending on which area of your eye it affects. If it affects all three areas, doctors call this panuveitis.
The most common location is anterior (front) uveitis. It affects the iris and ciliary body near the front of the eye, and the symptoms are often visible to you or others. They include:
The infection can last up to eight weeks.
Intermediate (middle) and posterior (back) uveitis usually cause symptoms that are difficult for you, or anyone else, to see. Instead, they’re more likely to affect what you see and/or how well you can see it.
The symptoms of intermediate and posterior uveitis include:
Intermediate uveitis symptoms tend to come and go for months or years. Posterior uveitis usually develops gradually, with symptoms lasting for years.
In severe cases, or in those not treated, uveitis can cause permanent vision loss.
Treating uveitis isn’t a case of one-treatment-serves-all. Because the condition can happen for so many reasons, the treatments vary widely. And while there’s no cure for uveitis, some conditions that can cause it are curable, meaning your symptoms may disappear when you treat the underlying cause.
Symptom-based treatments usually focus on the following:
Because treatments vary widely, your ophthalmologist is the best person with whom you should discuss your options.
If you’re experiencing any of the telltale signs of uveitis, it’s time to come into Retina Specialists for diagnosis and symptom relief. Call any of our five Texas offices — in Dallas, DeSoto, Plano, Mesquite, and Waxahachie — to make an appointment, or book online.
