Iritis

Iritis is inflammation in the iris (the colored part of your eye). It’s the most common type of uveitis.

Eye doctors sometimes refer to it as anterior uveitis. Anterior is the medical word for front. Uveitis is any inflammation in the uvea. So, anterior uveitis is inflammation in the front of your uvea. This includes your irises.

Visit an eye doctor if you have redness, pain or other symptoms in your eyes for more than a few days.

Iritis symptoms

Iritis can happen in one or both eyes at the same time. Symptoms can include:

• Red eye
• Eye irritation
• Eye pain
• Light sensitivity
• Blurry vision
• Headaches
• Uneven pupils
• Watery eyes or extra tears

Iritis can be acute or chronic. Acute iritis symptoms start suddenly and get worse in a few days. Chronic iritis usually takes at least a few weeks to develop. Symptoms can also come and go in episodes called flare-ups.

Iritis causes

Iritis happens when there’s inflammation in your irises. Inflammation is your immune system’s response to germs or other things it detects as threats. But sometimes, it happens without a known cause. In fact, most cases of iritis happen like this. Your eye doctor might call this idiopathic iritis.

If there’s a cause, it might be:

• Another health condition: Conditions that cause inflammation throughout your body can affect your eyes, too. An autoimmune disease you have may lead to iritis. Conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, inflammatory arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis (MS) can cause it.
• A genetic change: Certain genetic changes may make your irises more likely to experience inflammation. These are changes you’re born with and they may also cause some of the conditions that lead to iritis.
• An infection: Eye infections can cause iritis. But so can bacterial, viral, parasitic or fungal infections that spread to your irises from somewhere else in your body.
• An eye injury: Eye injuries damage tissue in your eyes. This can cause inflammation. Your eye doctor might refer to this as traumatic iritis.
• A medication side effect: Eye inflammation can be a side effect of some medications. Tell your eye doctor if you’ve changed medications recently.

Risk factors

You may be more likely to develop iritis if your biological family members have a history of it. You’ll also have a higher risk if you have a compromised immune system.

Iritis complications

If it’s not treated right away, iritis can damage your eyes and vision. Complications can include:

• Cataracts
• Cornea scars
• Detached retinas
• Glaucoma
• Hyphema
• Iris atrophy
• Low vision
• Optic nerve damage
• Strabismus

How doctors diagnose iritis

An eye doctor will diagnose iritis with an eye exam and some tests. Your provider will check your vision with a visual acuity test. They’ll also look inside your eyes for signs of inflammation and damage. They might use a few other tests, including:

• Tonometry
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
• Blood tests
• Eye ultrasound
• Biopsies

How do you fix iritis?

An eye doctor will recommend treatments that reduce the inflammation, including:

• Anti-inflammatory medication: Your provider will give you an ointment or eye drops that have an anti-inflammatory medication in them (usually a corticosteroid).
• Dilating eye drops: They might also dilate your eyes. Dilation will relax the muscles in your iris. This can relieve pain and other symptoms.
• Treatments for a specific cause: You might need antivirals, antibiotics or antiparasitic medications to manage an infection. Your provider will help you understand how to manage autoimmune diseases or other conditions that can cause iritis.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Visit an eye doctor if you have redness, eye pain or other symptoms that last for more than a few days. Tell your provider if it feels like the symptoms are getting worse or coming back. This might mean you have chronic iritis. Your provider may need to adjust your treatments.

See an eye doctor right away if you have:

• Sudden vision loss
• Symptoms of an infection, like a fever and eye discharge
• Severe eye pain

Iritis can sometimes get better on its own. But you should still visit an eye doctor to get it diagnosed. Even if it happens without a cause, you might still need treatment. Plus, your eye doctor will check your eyes and vision to reduce your risk of complications.

What should I expect if I have iritis?

Iritis usually lasts for a few weeks. Your eye doctor will tell you if you need to avoid wearing contact lenses while your eyes heal.

If a chronic condition causes iritis, it might come back again. Managing that condition can prevent flare-ups or make them happen less often. Ask your eye doctor what you should expect.