What are the treatment options?
Treating uveitis and ocular inflammations involve:
- Reducing inflammation and pain
- Treating the underlying cause (if any), and
- Preventing further damage,complications and vision loss
Treatment options will depend on the type of uveitis and it includes:
Anti-inflammatory agents (e.g. steroids) are the main medications used to control inflammation in uveitis. Steroids are usually administered as topical eyedrops but injections (intravetreal or peiocular) and oral tablet forms may sometimes be required in severe or difficult to treat cases. A high dosage of steroids will be prescribed to control the inflammation and this dosage is reduced gradually on follow-up visits.
Immunosuppressive agents are used if steroids alone are ineffective in controlling the inflammation
Antibiotics may be prescribed if the uveitis is due to an infectious cause
Other medications that may be prescribed to prevent complications may include mydriatic agents,
painkillers and pressure-lowering eyedrops.
Sunglasses can be worn to reduce light sensitivity
At EEC, we provide a detailed eye examination, which include vision and eye pressure checks by our dedicated optometrists and a comprehensive consultation with our uveitis eye specialists that include a thorough medical history and ocular health check and discussion of treatment options. Additional laboratory tests (e.g. blood tests) may be needed in certain cases to determince an infectious or autoimmune case so that the best treatment options can be planned specifically for you.