Why should you treat uveitis early?

The article was professionally consulted by an eye doctor - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital

Uveitis can lead to serious eye problems if not treated immediately. Especially if you have the disease for a long time, or get it in old age, the chance of having eye problems increases.

Uveitis is a descriptive term for many eye problems. What all of these problems have in common is inflammation, swelling, and possibly destruction of eye tissue. That destruction leads to poor vision or blindness.

When left untreated, uveitis can cause eye problems. Here are the eye diseases that are derived from uveitis :

Cataracts are the result of an inflammatory eye condition. Taking steroids for uveitis can also cause it. At first, cataracts are difficult to detect, but over time, vision will fade. It feels like there's a cloud blocking the view. Surgery can remove cataracts. But the eye doctor will have to control the inflammation of the eye weeks to months before surgery.

This occurs when the fluid inside the eye cannot drain. All the fluid that builds up creates pressure that damages the optic nerve at the back of the eye. As it gets worse, vision gets worse.
Glaucoma can also cause blurred vision or the feeling of being obscured by clouds or halos can be seen. Other signs of glaucoma are the appearance of patchy blind spots when looking forward or to the side. It can also cause headaches, eye pain, or nausea.
The harmful effects of glaucoma can come on slowly, may not notice it at first. But an ophthalmologist can check for and detect glaucoma and treat it even if there are no symptoms. Get treatment early to avoid serious adverse effects on the eyes. Taking steroids can also increase your chances of developing glaucoma.

Inflammation inside the eye can cause the retina to swell. The retina is a thin layer of tissue around the back of the eye. It's full of light-sensitive cells and neurons. The retina looks around and sends that information to the optic nerve and brain. If the retina swells from uveitis, central vision may be partially lost, causing a black spot in the center of vision.

Retinal swelling does not hurt the eye in the first place. But if swelling persists for a long time without treatment, it can lead to vision loss. There is a type of retinal swelling called cystoid macular edema. That is, the center of the retina is called the macula.

Retinal detachment rarely occurs. But uveitis can cause the retina to detach or pull away from the blood vessels in the eye. The manifestation of retinal detachment is the appearance of small black spots in the field of vision. If you have any signs of the disease, see your doctor and get prompt treatment to avoid adverse effects on your vision.

There are many factors that can cause uveitis. For example, a toxic substance can enter the eye and cause inflammation. Uveitis can also be caused by an autoimmune disease, which means the body is attacking itself. That attack causes inflammation, infection, and tumors in the eyes or other parts of the body.
Some people have a higher risk of uveitis. Those are people with certain gene combinations and smokers.

Uveitis can affect one or both eyes, and they can appear very quickly. In some cases, they appear gradually. Warning signs include: Red eyes; Pain; Blurred or reduced vision and sensitivity to light; Floating small dots or spots in vision. If you have any of these, it's important to see an eye doctor. Timely diagnosis and treatment can help improve your vision.

The ophthalmologist will learn information about the patient's medical history and overall health. This is because uveitis can be the result of other diseases. Your doctor may also order blood tests, skin tests, or X-rays in conjunction with a thorough eye exam.

The first step in treatment may be to use eye drops, usually corticosteroids, to fight inflammation, avoid scarring, and cut the eye. If this doesn't work, your doctor may prescribe oral or injectable medications.
If an infection is causing the uveitis, the patient will be given antibiotics and antivirals. If treatment for the condition does not improve or the uveitis becomes more severe, your doctor may prescribe a higher dose of medication. These drugs include immunosuppressants and concomitant use with corticosteroids. If you have anterior uveitis, your doctor will probably prescribe eye drops at first. If you have mediastinitis, your doctor may give you an injection or an oral immunosuppressant. In some cases, your doctor may remove certain gel-like substances from the eye, called the vitreous. The uvea is a part of the eye, consisting of three parts: the iris, the ciliary body, and the choroid. Uveitis is a disease caused by many causes such as: inflammation, autoimmune, trauma, poisoning, .... However, this is a disease that is not contagious, but increases the risk of causing many complications for the eyes, especially very easy to relapse. Therefore, the treatment of uveitis should be done early according to the cause and extent of the disease.
Eye specialist at Vinmec has comprehensive vision and eye health care functions for children, adults and the elderly including: refractive error check, laser treatment and surgery. In addition, the department also has the task of coordinating with other clinical departments in the treatment of pathological complications and eye injuries caused by accidents.
In addition, the team of Ophthalmologists at Vinmec are experienced doctors who have performed many types of surgery from routine to difficult surgeries, especially techniques that require aesthetics. With enthusiasm and love for the profession, the team of doctors working at Vinmec always gives customers the best services with the highest service quality.

Reference source: webmd.com