subject: Be Familiar With Uveitis [print this page] For many people, the very first time they hear the term Uveitis is once they are given a analysis. The shock can make the condition appear frightening, since all things that we are unaware regarding it. This illness, that affects the eyes and can cause loss of sight, is relatively unheard of, and however it is a really serious disease that will seriously impact the life of a sufferer before they even realize that they need it. They may have gone to the doctor expecting a diagnosis of conjunctivitis, or similar, never realizing that they're of course suffering from uveitis. By knowing what causes the illness, sufferers can become well informed regarding what to anticipate in the future.
For many people, the first uveitis symptoms seem fairly unimportant. After all, many will ignore the first symptoms as insignificant. It will start as a pain in the eye, generally with irritation and discomfort in the membranes. This will then lead on to a swelling, and sometimes a sensation that things are moving down the surface of the eye (generally known as floaters). Because of the amount of itching and discomfort, the eye itself will turn red, and there may be more fluid leaking from the tear ducts, all of that appears perfectly normal for a mild infection. While there are all serious uveitis signs, they can easily be dismissed by the common public as bacterial or viral infections of the eye which are probable to go away in a few weeks.
These symptoms can actually be the start of uveitis. Generally the eye could become cloudy, and more often the blood vessels of the eye will become damaged. Gradually, as the infection returns again and again, problems in eyesight increase. This is when the majority of sufferers are referred to an ophthalmologist, and medication has started.
The causes of uveitis are obscure, with some cases coming from recurring infections, or trauma to the eye, and other cases being linked with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Lyme disease, lupus, and other diseases which are triggered by the immune system turning against the tissues of the body. Some cases of this disease never have their origins completely understood.
When the diagnosis has been created, medication will usually start before the reason is recognized, and is most frequently a lengthy course of steroids. These steroids facilitate to cut down on the inflammation of the eye, lessen itching and swelling. This has to be done immediately so as to lessen the damage to the eye, but once the swelling is down the patient will be treated for the chronic parts of the condition. Compresses and medication can sometimes be enough to treat the illness, although anti-inflammatory pills might be used for persistent swelling and inflammation.
