Iritis

Iritis is an eye condition occurring when the iris becomes irritated and inflamed. The Iris is the coloured area around the pupil and will contract and relax in order to protect the pupil from damage from light.

The Causes of Iritis

It is very little known what causes this and sometimes can be just a one off occasion and the reason for it can be unknown, however sometimes other medical conditions can contribute to this condition. Diseases and illnesses such as ankylosing spondylitits, psoriasis, Reiter syndrome and tuberculosis have been found to be contributing factors.

Another cause could be a trauma, blow or foreign body getting into the eye and also if any fragments are still remaining.

It is wise to see you doctor if your think this could be the case

Symptoms

The most common symptoms, which can come on fairly quickly are: -

Blurred vision

An aversion to light

Redness and irritation around the iris and pupil, occasionally the shape of the pupil may appear different than normal and sometimes a headache can occur.

These symptoms can cause various degrees of pain

Treating Iritis

If you experience any of these symptoms it is important to see your doctor for treatment to prevent any long term damage

Paracetamol or Ibuprofen can be taken to reduce the pain and avoid bright light, wear sunglasses when necessary and rest when possible. Eye drops can be prescribed which will help dilate the pupil to allow the Iris to heal and inflammation to reduce.

If the iritis was not caused by infection, it is also common for steroid preparations to be used to reduce the inflammation. If an infection has caused the problem then antibiotic eye-drops may be used to clear infection and clear any bacterial residue

Your doctor will need to check there are no remaining foreign bodies in the eye and will need to check again that everything has been cleared up at a later date.

Iritis is a common and irritating condition and will require medical attention. If you have any of the conditions or symptoms above then check with your GP or seek advice from your optician.

Mark Bowden

Tags: Eye Conditions, Iritis

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 9th, 2008 at 2:23 pm and is filed under Eye Care, Eye Conditions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.