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<h1>
<span>Uveitis</span>
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<div class="c-jump-menu__intro">On this page:</div>
<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-1096">Types</a>
<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-1023">Symptoms</a>
<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-16914">Risk</a>
<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-1018">Causes</a>
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<h2 class="c-at-a-glance__title">At a glance: Uveitis</h2>
<ul><li><div class="c-at-a-glance__item">
<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Early Symptoms:</strong>
<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p>Blurry vision, floaters, eye pain, red eyes, sensitivity to light</p></div>
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</li><li><div class="c-at-a-glance__item">
<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Late Symptoms:</strong>
<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p>Vision loss</p></div>
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<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Diagnosis:</strong>
<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p>Dilated eye exam, medical history</p></div>
</div>
</li><li><div class="c-at-a-glance__item">
<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Treatment:</strong>
<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p>Medicine (usually eye drops, pills, or injections)</p></div>
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What is uveitis?
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<p>Uveitis is inflammation inside your eye. Inflammation usually happens when your immune system is fighting an infection. Sometimes uveitis means your immune system is fighting an eye infection — but it can also happen when your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your eyes. Uveitis can cause problems like pain, redness, and vision loss.</p><p>Uveitis damages the part of the eye called the uvea — but it often affects other parts of the eye, too. Sometimes uveitis goes away quickly, but it can come back. And sometimes its a chronic (long-term) condition. It can affect 1 eye or both eyes.</p><p>Uveitis can cause vision loss if it isnt treated — so its important to see your eye doctor right away if you have symptoms.</p>
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<h3>What is the uvea?</h3><p>The uvea is the middle layer of the eye between the sclera (white part of the eye) and the retina (light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye). It has 3 parts:</p><ul><li><strong>Iris</strong> (the colored part of the eye)</li><li><strong>Ciliary body</strong> (the part of the eye that helps the lens focus)</li><li><strong>Choroid</strong> (the part of the eye that connects the retina to the sclera)</li></ul>
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<div
class="paragraph--type--lightbox left"
data-original-image-url="/sites/default/files/2019-02/EyeDiagramUveitis_0.jpg"
data-caption=""
data-alt-text="Eye diagram showing the uvea, optic nerve, retina, sclera, cornea and pupil.">
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<img
src="https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2019-02/EyeDiagramUveitis_0.jpg?itok=73aBDn_9"
width="550"
height="483"
class="p-lb-image"
alt="Eye diagram showing the uvea, optic nerve, retina, sclera, cornea and pupil." />
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<div class="c-section" id="section-id-1096">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
What are the types of uveitis?
</h2>
<div class="c-text">
<p>Different types of uveitis affect different parts of the eye.</p><ul><li><strong>Anterior uveitis</strong> affects the iris at the front of the eye. Its the most common type, and its usually less serious.</li><li><strong>Intermediate uveitis</strong> affects the ciliary body and the vitreous (gel-like fluid that fills the eye).</li><li><strong>Posterior uveitis</strong> affects the retina and the choroid at the back of the eye.</li><li><strong>Panuveitis</strong> affects all parts of the uvea, from the front to the back of the eye.</li></ul>
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<div class="c-section" id="section-id-1023">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
What are the symptoms of uveitis?
</h2>
<div class="c-text">
<p>Early uveitis symptoms usually start suddenly. Symptoms include:</p><ul><li>Blurry vision</li><li>Floaters (small dark spots or squiggly lines that float across your vision)</li><li>Eye pain</li><li>Red eyes</li><li>Sensitivity to light</li></ul><p>If you notice these symptoms, see your eye doctor right away. Uveitis can cause vision loss if you dont treat it.</p>
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<div class="c-section" id="section-id-16914">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
Am I at risk for uveitis?
</h2>
<div class="c-text">
<p>Anyone can get uveitis, but its most common in people ages 20 to 60.</p><p>Youre at higher risk for uveitis if you smoke cigarettes.</p>
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<div class="c-section" id="section-id-1018">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
What causes uveitis?
</h2>
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<p>Doctors dont always know what causes uveitis, but there are several known causes.</p><p>Sometimes uveitis is caused by autoimmune diseases, like:</p><ul><li>AIDS</li><li>Ankylosing spondylitis</li><li><a href="/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/behcets-disease">Behcets disease</a></li><li>Lupus</li><li>Multiple sclerosis</li><li>Psoriasis</li><li>Rheumatoid arthritis</li><li>Sarcoidosis</li><li>Ulcerative colitis</li><li>Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease</li></ul><p>Sometimes its caused by an infection or a condition related to an infection, like:</p><ul><li>Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis</li><li>Histoplasmosis</li><li>Reactive arthritis</li><li>Shingles</li><li>Syphilis</li><li>Toxoplasmosis</li></ul><p>Uveitis can also be caused by cancers that can affect the eye, like lymphoma.</p>
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<div class="c-section" id="section-id-1099">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
How will my eye doctor check for uveitis?
</h2>
<div class="c-text">
<p>Eye doctors can check for uveitis as part of a dilated eye exam. The exam is simple and painless — your doctor will give you some eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupil and then check your eyes for uveitis and other eye problems.</p>
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<a href="/learn-about-eye-health/healthy-vision/get-dilated-eye-exam" class="c-link__link">Learn what to expect from a dilated eye exam</a>
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<p>Your doctor will also ask about your medical history — and may recommend some tests to see if you have an infection or another disease that can cause uveitis.</p>
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<div class="c-section" id="section-id-1030">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
What's the treatment for uveitis?
</h2>
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<p>Medicines called steroids can reduce inflammation in your eye. This can ease symptoms and prevent vision loss. Your eye doctor may prescribe steroids in a few different ways:</p><ul><li><strong>Eye drops.</strong> Prescription eye drops are the most common treatment.</li><li><strong>Pills.</strong> Your eye doctor may also prescribe steroids as a pill.</li><li><strong>Injections.</strong> In some cases, your eye doctor might put the steroid in or around your eye with a small needle.</li><li><strong>Implants.</strong> If other treatments dont work, your doctor might suggest surgery to put a small device called an implant into your eye. The implant gives you regular small doses of the steroid over time.</li></ul><p>Steroids can have side effects and can increase your risk for cataracts and glaucoma. If you take steroids for uveitis, its important to get regular eye exams to check for signs of these problems.</p><p>Your treatment plan will depend on several factors — like which part of your eye is affected, and other health conditions you have. For example, your doctor may prescribe medicines to help control your immune system. You can work with your doctor to find the right treatments for you.</p>
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<div class="c-section" id="section-id-1033">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
What's the latest research on uveitis?
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<p>NEI conducts and funds many studies about what causes uveitis and how we can treat it better — including cutting-edge research through the <a href="/research/research-labs-and-branches/laboratory-immunology">Laboratory of Immunology</a>.</p>
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<a href="/about/news-and-events/news?topic=58&amp;initiatives=All&amp;research=All&amp;source=All&amp;created=All&amp;language=All" class="c-link__link">Get the latest news on NEI-supported uveitis research</a>
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<p class="views-element-container c-last-updated" id="block-views-block-nei-last-updated-block-1"><strong>Last updated:</strong> December 4, 2024</p>
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