Uveitis (u-vee-I-tis) is eye inflammation of the uvea, which makes up the middle layer of tissue in your eye. It can affect people of all ages in one or both eyes.

Uveitis can cause redness, pain, and vision problems, and if left untreated can lead to permanent vision loss.

There can be many causes of uveitis including infections, injuries, autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, or drug-induced complications. Sometimes, the exact cause cannot be determined.

Uveitis can be a serious condition, and it’s important to visit a specialist early in order to start treatment, manage symptoms, and preserve your sight.

Uveitis is further categorized by the area of the eye that are inflamed. The main types of uveitis include:

• Anterior uveitis, which affects the front of the eye.
• Intermediate uveitis, which affects the middle of the eye behind the lens.
• Posterior uveitis, which affects the back of the eye.
• Panuveitis, which is classified by inflammation throughout the entire eye.

Many times, the exact cause of uveitis in unknown. In those cases, your doctor will work through the treatment steps to address the symptoms until a solution is discovered.

When an immediate cause can be determined, common ones include:

• Sarcoidosis.
• Lupus.
• Crohn’s disease.
• Ankylosing spondylitis (HLA-B27 associated).
• Infections including cat-scratch disease, shingles, syphilis, toxoplasmosis, or tuberculosis.
• Drug-related side effects.
• Injuries to the eye.
• Eye surgeries.
• Cancer.

Uveitis can affect people of all ages and may appear in either one or both eyes. People with autoimmune disease are at a higher risk of uveitis.

When left untreated, uveitis conditions can worsen and lead to total vision loss.

Other complications that can arise from untreated uveitis can include:

• Scarring inside the eye (Synechiae).
• Glaucoma.
• Cataracts.
• Nerve damage.
• Retinal detachment.
• Vision loss.

Common symptoms of uveitis can include:

• Redness of the eye.
• Pain or pressure of the eye.
• Sensitivity to light.
• Blurry vision, decreased vision, trouble seeing.
• Dark spots in your field of visions, which are called floaters.

Not all types of uveitis are painful, many forms start as painless floaters, dark spots or flashing lights. In some cases, uveitis symptoms can arise suddenly and worsen if left untreated. Other times, symptoms may develop overtime. When symptoms are less severe or not present, uveitis conditions can be identified during a regular eye exam.

The treatment plan for uveitis conditions involves trying to identify the cause and carefully prescribing a plan that will employ the lowest effective does for the shortest duration with the least amount of potential side effects.

Common treatments include steroid eye drops, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pills, steroid pills, steroid-sparing medicines, and biologics.

The goal is to keep your eyes safe while minimizing adverse side effects by starting with simple treatments, and only moving up to stronger ones when necessary.

It is important to see a uveitis specialist at the earliest signs of symptoms. When treated early, symptoms and inflammation can be controlled and vision loss can be prevented.

Talk to your doctor at the earliest warning signs.