Uveitis or ocular inflammation is a condition where the middle layer of the eye gets inflamed.
What is Uveitis?
- Uveitis is an inflammation that occurs in the middle layer of the eye. It can also lead to inflammation in the adjacent areas, like the retina and fluid in the back of the eye (called vitreous).
- To understand what Uveitis is, we must first know how a normal eye works. The eye is like a camera. The lens allows light to pass through it and then focuses that light on a film at the back of the camera to form a clear picture.
- In a normal eye the lens is clear and allows the light to pass through it. The light is focused on a thin film called the retina, which is located at the back of the eye. The different regions of the eye assimilate this light and send a message to the brain, thus forming the image that we see.
What Causes Uveitis?
- While the basic cause for Uveitis remains undetermined in most cases, it may be a manifestation of systemic diseases. It can also occur as a result of an auto-immune reaction to ocular antigens or be due to a local infection caused by virus, bacteria, fungus or a parasite.
- Doctors often call for laboratory tests, X-rays and consultations with specialists to determine the cause of Uveitis. However, even after detailed tests they may still not understand its cause.
