Causes Of Inflammation In The Eye
Inflammation of the eyes is generally referred to uveitis. It is a process which involves inflammation of the tissue layers within the eye ball called the uvea or the uveal tract. What are the causes of inflammation in the eye?
As a normal response, our body's defense mechanism fights against any insults it faces and disrupts its functioning. This usually leads to an inflammation. Eye inflammations are also similar. It is a response of our eyes to an insult it faces.
Eye inflammations are less frequent in the very young and in the very old. When there is an inflammation in our eyes, there will be irritation, redness and disruption of vision in the form of spots and strands floating in front of the eyes. Pain may not be always there but blurring of vision and sensitivity to light are frequent symptoms.
A particular pathology may affect one eye or may involve both the eyes. Symptoms will be present in the affected eye and the unaffected eye may be completely normal. Often, eye inflammations are chronic, meaning it may last for a long time. Usually even if it is chronic, there are remissions and exacerbations with periods of comfort and discomfort respectively. It may be at times an acute process and may subside completely after treatment. While dozens of causes have been identified to cause uveitis, many times the exact cause of it may not be known. This is when it is labeled as idiopathic uveitis. Among the known causes are bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections, trauma and auto immune systemic diseases like juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Different types of corticosteroids are the main drugs used in the treatment of uveitis. Depending on the site, severity and duration of the condition, steroids may be given in the form of eye drops, tablets or injections. Sometimes, steroids may be injected directly into the eye ball.
Retisert is a small device implanted in the back of the eye of those people with chronic non-infectious posterior uveitis. It is actually a drug reservoir which releases small doses of steroid into the eye and is active for about two and a half years. This mode of treatment is available only at specialized centers. In addition to the steroids, your doctor might prescribe other medication to relive pain and other discomfort. When present, control of systemic infections causing uveitis is also important to cure the condition. Wearing dark glasses will help reduce the discomfort caused by light. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important. Otherwise it may lead to complications. Complications include cataract (opacity in the lens), loss of transparency of the cornea, glaucoma, damage to the optic nerve and retinal problems. All of them can potentially affect your vision severely in an undesirable manner.
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