Iritis Treatment in Toronto
What is iritis?
Iritis is inflammation of the iris. The iris is the coloured part of your eye with the dark pupil in the center. The iris is made up of muscular fibers that control the amount of light that enters the pupils so that we can see clearly. The iris will constrict the pupil smaller in bright light to prevent excessive light to inundate the eye and will dilate the pupil larger in dimmer light to allow more light to enter through to the retina.
What causes iritis?
Iritis may be a consequence of trauma or non traumatic causes. In a significant number of cases, no cause for iritis is found.
Blunt trauma to the eye can cause traumatic inflammation of the iris. Systemic conditions (ie. arthritis) and infectious causes (herpes simplex and zoster virus) may also be associated with iritis.
What are the symptoms of iritis?
Iritis usually develops quickly and generally affects only one eye. Signs and symptoms may include any or all of the following:
- pain in the eye or brow region
- worsened eye pain when exposed to bright light
- reddened or irregularly shaped pupil
- blurred vision
- headache
- increased tearing
- iritis may result in glaucoma and/or cataracts, leading to a marked decrease of vision
How is iritis treated?
Treatment includes the use of medication in the form of eye drops, and pills if necessary, to promote healing and help decrease eye pain. Eye drops which dilate the pupil are often used to make the eye more comfortable and to prevent adhesion’s of the pupil to the underlying lens. In more sever cases, systemic steroids (cortisone) may be used.
