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What Is Uveitis?

As the best eye doctors in Arizona, we have worked hard to expand the array of conditions that we can treat. One of the most common is called uveitis. Take a look at some of the helpful information that we have put together below.

When someone suffers from uveitis, they have eye inflammation in the middle part of the eye, which is called the uvea. Its caused when your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your eye. It can cause pain, redness and vision loss. Sometimes it goes away quickly, but chronic cases exist.

While uveitis is a rare condition, this is a serious eye problem that might lead to vision loss if it is not treated quickly. In some cases, this vision loss might even be permanent. Therefore, it is important for everyone to have an understanding of this condition.

What Is Uveitis?

As the best eye doctors in Arizona, we have worked hard to expand the array of conditions that we can treat. One of the most common is called uveitis. Take a look at some of the helpful information that we have put together below.

When someone suffers from uveitis, they have eye inflammation in the middle part of the eye, which is called the uvea. Its caused when your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your eye. It can cause pain, redness and vision loss. Sometimes it goes away quickly, but chronic cases exist.

While uveitis is a rare condition, this is a serious eye problem that might lead to vision loss if it is not treated quickly. In some cases, this vision loss might even be permanent. Therefore, it is important for everyone to have an understanding of this condition.

What Are the Symptoms of Uveitis?

When someone has developed uveitis, there are a few symptoms that might appear. The problem is that uveitis can present similarly to numerous other conditions, making it hard for patients to tell the difference. Some of the most common symptoms include:

  • The presence of floaters (or dark spots)
  • Blurry vision
  • Pain in the eyes,
  • Redness in the eyes
  • Extreme sensitivity to light.

Anyone who has these symptoms needs to make sure they see a doctor as quickly as possible so that the treatment process can begin.

Common Uveitis Causes

Uveitis often arises due to trauma, body-wide autoimmune disease (which causes the body to attack its own healthy tissues), infections, or other rare or unknown causes.d, Some of the autoimmune disorders and infectious causes known to cause uveitis include:):

  • Psoriasis
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Shingles
  • Syphilis
  • Toxoplasmosis
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Ulcerative colitis

Acute or chronic uveitis and can cause blindness without care from an experienced eye doctor.

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How Is Uveitis Treated?

The first step in our uveitis treatment is to make the diagnosis. When someone presents with the symptoms that were described above, a trained eye doctor will carry out a thorough exam to make sure that all of the other conditions have been ruled out.

The next step in the treatment process is to apply eye drops that can ease the inflammation that is present. In some cases, uveitis develops as a result of an infection that has developed in the eyes. In this case, antibiotics might be needed to slow the spread of the infection. As the infection clears, the uveitis should fade as well.

Common treatments include:

  • Corticosteroid eye drops
  • Topical corticosteroid
  • Anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Drops to dilate the pupils
  • Immunosuppressive medication

Types of Uveitis

The type of uveitis depends on which part of the eye is inflamed:

  • Anterior uveitis – inside front of eye and ciliary body
  • Intermediate uveitis – retina and blood vessels behind the lens
  • Posterior uveitis – layer on the inside of the back of your eye, retina or choroid
  • Panuveitis – all layers of the uvea are inflamed

What If I Have Uveitis?

Anyone who thinks they might have uveitis needs to make sure they see an eye doctor quickly. If uveitis is allowed to progress unchecked, this could threaten someone’s vision, leading to permanent complications. That is why we are here to help. Our uveitis treatment team is here to help you treat uveitis and numerous other eye conditions.

Our uveitis treatment doctors in Arizona work hard to remain up to date on the latest treatment options in the field. We believe that this allows us to provide the best possible eye care for individuals and families in the local area. If you would like to make an appointment with our uveitis specialists, please give us a call today. We look forward to helping you with all of your eye care needs

What If I Have Uveitis?

Anyone who thinks they might have uveitis needs to make sure they see an eye doctor quickly. If uveitis is allowed to progress unchecked, this could threaten someone’s vision, leading to permanent complications. That is why we are here to help. Our uveitis treatment team is here to help you treat uveitis and numerous other eye conditions.

Our uveitis treatment doctors in Arizona work hard to remain up to date on the latest treatment options in the field. We believe that this allows us to provide the best possible eye care for individuals and families in the local area. If you would like to make an appointment with our uveitis specialists, please give us a call today. We look forward to helping you with all of your eye care needs