What Is Uveitis And What Are Its Symptoms?

Uveitis can be serious and cause permanent loss of vision. Its early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent its complications.

Uveitis is a form of eye inflammation. It affects the middle layer of tissue of the eye wall which is called the uvea. This ocular pathology can appear in one eye or in both eyes.

Signs of uveitis usually appear suddenly and get worse quickly. It mainly affects people between 20 and 50 years old but can also occur in children.

Uveitis can be serious and cause permanent loss of vision. Its early diagnosis and treatment are therefore important to prevent complications.

Also, people with changes in certain genes may be more likely to have uveitis. In a recent study, a significant relationship was also found between uveitis and smoking.

Types of uveitis

The uvea is the middle tissue layer of the wall of the eye. It is formed from:

• The iris.
• The ciliary body.
• The choroid: this is located between the retina – located on the innermost layer of the wall of the eye – and the sclera – the outermost white part of the wall of the eye.

The uvea brings blood flow to the deep layers of the retina. The type of uveitis you have will depend on which parts of the eye will be inflamed:

• Iritis : affects the front part of the eye and is the most common type.
• Cyclitis : it affects the ciliary body.
• Choroiditis and retinitis : affects the posterior part of the eye.
• Diffuse uveitis :  it occurs when all the layers of the uvea are inflamed.

In any of these conditions,  the gelatinous material in the center of the eye (vitreous humor) can become inflamed  and become invaded by inflammatory cells.

There is also another classification of uveitis  depending on the area of ​​the uvea that is affected. In severe cases, all layers are involved.

Previous

Inflammation of the uvea occurs near the front part of the eye. It starts suddenly and symptoms can last up to 8 weeks. Some variants of anterior uveitis are constant while others go away and come back.

Intermediate

The swelling of the uvea takes place near the central part of the eye. Therefore, symptoms can last from a few weeks to several years. This variant can be cyclical; some times it heals and other times it gets worse.

Posterior

The inflammation of the uvea is near the back of the eye. Symptoms can come on gradually and can last for many years.

Symptoms and complications

Among the signs,  symptoms and characteristics of uveitis  we find:

• Reddening of the eyes.
• Pain in the eyes.
• Sensitivity to light.
• Blurred vision.
• Black dots that float in the field of vision (flying flies).
• Decreased vision.

Symptoms  may appear suddenly or worsen rapidly. However, in some cases they present themselves gradually.

In addition to these symptoms, if left untreated,  uveitis can cause certain complications,  such as:

• Glaucoma.
• Cataract.
• Optic nerve damage.
• Retinal detachment.
• Permanent loss of vision.

Causes of uveitis

In about half of the cases,  the specific cause of uveitis is unclear. If a cause can be determined, it may be one of the following:

• Autoimmune disorder, such as sarcoidosis or ankylosing spondylitis.
• Eye injury or operation.
• An inflammatory disorder,  such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
• An infection, such as cat scratch disease, herpes zoster, syphilis, toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis, Lyme disease, or West Nile virus.
• Cancer that affects the eyes, such as lymphoma.

Diagnosis and treatment of uveitis

Since  uveitis is often linked to other diseases or conditions,  it may be necessary to do certain tests. These may include a physical exam, blood test, eye fluid analysis, and image analysis.

Regarding treatment, uveitis should be treated immediately to avoid long lasting problems. Ophthalmologists often treat uveitis with medication in the form of eye drops  that reduce inflammation.

You may also see them using  eye drops that dilate the pupil  to reduce pain and swelling.