Inflammatory Eye Disease

Some eye inflammations are serious and long-term, while others occur only temporarily and can be treated easily or be left alone until the inflammation cedes. An inflammatory eye disease may affect the surrounding tissues of the eyes, as well as the outer or the inner parts.

Causes

• The eye is a very delicate and sensitive organ, and it can be easily infected by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and acanthamoeba. Such infection occurs primarily through rubbing, scratching, wearing contact lenses, and exposure to environmental elements such as the wind, water or sun. Eye inflammation can also result from more indirect factors such as food allergies, hives, bruises, arthritis, and other conditions such as autoimmune diseases.

Common Types

• If the eye becomes inflamed without apparent reason, consult an eye doctor and get treatment when needed so as not to affect the sight permanently or cause irreparable damage. Two of the most common inflammatory eye diseases that need to be treated immediately include scleritis and uveitis.

Scleritis

• Scleritis is the inflammation of the white outer wall of the eye (the sclera), and is thus also commonly referred to as sclera inflammation. Scleritis is typically caused by chemical injuries, infection, and autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes, however, the cause of scleritis cannot be determined, but it usually occurs between the ages of 30 and 60 and rarely in children. Symptoms of this inflammatory eye disease include blurred vision, extreme sensitivity to light, severe eye pain, tearing of the eye, and red patches on the white part of the eye. Diagnosis of scleritis is usually done through an eye examination, blood tests, and physical examination. A less severe form of scleritis is called episcleritis.

Uveitis

• Uveitis is the irritation and swelling of the middle layer of the eye (the uvea) which provides most of the retina's blood supply. Uveitis is also known as irits and choroiditis and can occur as posterior uveitis, anterior uveitis, or pars planitis. Underlying diseases can cause this inflammatory eye disease, particularly autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Uveitis can also be caused by exposure to chemicals or toxins and infection. In many cases, the cause for uveitis is unknown but can be associated with various conditions including AIDS, Behcet syndrome, CMV retinitis, herpes zoster infections, Kawasaki disease, syphilis, tubercolosis, ulcerative colitis, toxoplasmosis, and psoriasis. Symptoms of uveitis include redness of the eye, blurred vision, dark or floating spots in the vision, eye pain, and sensitivity to light. To determine whether a patient suffers from uveitis, eye examinations and laboratory tests are conducted along with an examination of the patient's medical history.

Treatment

• To treat inflammatory eye diseases such as scleritis and uveitis, doctors usually recommend corticosteroid eye drops to help reduce inflammation, and sometimes, oral corticosteroids. In certain cases, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) may also be recommended as well as the wearing of dark glasses. In cases where the inflammation is caused by an underlying disease, this treatment of the disease will most likely stop the eye inflammation.