Symptoms and Prevention of Traumatic Iritis

John Lowe^*
*Correspondence: John Lowe, Department of Opthalmology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel,

Description

Iritis is an inflammation of your iris, the colored part of your eyes also called Anterior Uveitis. The iris is made up of muscle fibers that control the amount of light that enters the pupil, so the central opening is clearly visible. This makes the pupil smaller in bright light and larger in dim light. Uveitis due to injury usually subsides in a week or two. In other cases, it may take weeks or months to resolve. Traumatic Iritis is an important cause of anterior Iritis. In children, this is one of the two major causes of endogenous Iritis, accounting for up to 25% of all pediatric Iritis diagnoses. Much of what is known about traumatic Iritis comes from a series of case series of eye injuries and referral patterns and brief reports, many of which are from developing countries and are primarily eye injuries. A detailed analysis of each traumatic Iritis case followed over 30 years will be performed with the aim of better characterizing the clinical characterization and outcome of this large and important subset of patients with Iritis. As far as we know, this is one of two studies dedicated solely to the analysis and characterization of traumatic Iritis in the literature and is the only such study published in the last 25 years.

Symptoms of traumatic iritis

The common symptoms of traumatic Iritis are:

• Eye sore that cannot be relieved by numbness of eye drops

• Blurred or diminished eyesight

• Eye tears

• Photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light)

• Ciliary flush (extreme reddish ring around the iris)

• Hypopyon (commonly seen as inflammatory and white blood cell accumulation, white spots at the bottom of the iris)

• Vossius ring (the opaque ring on the back of the lens caused by the release of pigment from the traumatized tissue)

Floater (small spots in the field of vision or "cobwebs") does not specifically indicate Iritis, but it can be a sign of eye trauma. Serious symptoms of traumatic Iritis. Traumatic Iritis is characterized by the body's natural response to inflammation, injury and infection. If left untreated, extreme inflammation can cause the iris and part of the lens to stick together. This is a condition known as adhesions. This can impede the movement of fluid through the eye and cause the iris to swell. Increased pressure can cause serious complications known as angle-closure glaucoma.

The rapid onset of angle-closure glaucoma usually requires emergency surgery to prevent permanent loss of vision.

Complications of traumatic iritis

If not treated properly, Iritis can lead to:

• Cataract: The development of cloudiness of the crystalline lens of the eye (cataract) can be a compication, especially if you have been inflamed for a long time.

• Irregular pupils: Scar tissue causes the iris to attach to the underlying lens or cornea, causing the pupils to become irregularly shaped and the iris to become dull in response to light.

• Glaucoma: Recurrent Iritis can cause glaucoma, a serious eye condition characterized by elevated intraocular pressure and possible loss of vision.

• Calcium deposits on the cornea: This leads to degeneration of th e cornea and can affect vision.

• Swelling in the retina: Swelling and fluid-filled cysts in retina behind the eyes can blur or affect central vision.

Treatment includes the use of the drug in the form of eye drops and, if necessary, tablets to promote healing and relieve eye pain. Eye drops that dilate the pupil, called cyclopresic, are often used to improve eye comfort and prevent the pupil from sticking to the underlying lens. In more severe cases, systemic steroids (cortisone) can be used. Treatment uses drugs (in the form of eye drops or tablets) to dilate (enlarge) the pupil, prevent spasms of the iris muscles, and rest the inflamed iris. This allows healing and helps relieve eye pain. Droplets that dilate the pupil become more sensitive to bright light, causing blurred vision in the vicinity. Steroid (cortisone) eye drops are usually prescribed unless an infectious agent (virus or bacterium) causes Iritis. Steroid eye drops help reduce inflammation of the iris. If your eyes do not improve within a week, your ophthalmologist may consider prescribing steroids or steroid injections around your eyes. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms and how much the treatment improves the eyes. Keep in mind that these drops and tablets can cause serious side effects (including glaucoma and cataracts) in sensitive people and should only be used according to the ophthalmologist's prescription.