Uveitis occurs when the middle layer (the uvea) of the eyeball gets inflamed. The uvea has many blood vessels that support the eye. Uveitis can damage vital eye tissue, leading to permanent vision loss.
Symptoms can develop suddenly and include:
- having a red eye with or without pain
- being very sensitive to bright light
- having blurry vision
- sudden “floaters” (clouds or dots in your vision)
There are three kinds of uveitis:
- Anterior uveitis is swelling of the uvea near the front of the eye. It starts suddenly and often lasts several weeks. Some forms of anterior uveitis are chronic, while others come and go.
- Intermediate uveitis is swelling in the middle of the eye. Symptoms get better and worse anywhere from a few weeks to many years
- Posterior uveitis is swelling toward the back of the eye. It tends to develop slowly and last for many years.
In severe cases, all layers may be involved.
Doctors do not always know what causes uveitis. It is more common in patients who have had:
- infections such as shingles herpes simplex virus, syphilis, Lyme disease, and parasites such as toxoplasmosis.
- a systemic inflammatory disease such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis or lupus
- an eye injury
- use tobacco products
Treatment includes eye drops (such as steroids) or injections.