Symptoms of Iritis include one pupil smaller than
the other, sensitivity to lights, extreme eye pain, tearing, redness
and blurry vision.Symptoms occur most frequently in one eye but
can occasionally occur in both eyes. Iritis can lead to increased
eye pressure if left untreated, it is advised to see a doctor if
you have any of the symptoms.
Steroid eye drops are often prescribed to decrease inflamation.
Also, a dilating eye drop(Cycloplegic agents) will often be used
concurrently to relax the irritated iris. This decreases the discomfort
of iritis and prevents the inflamed iris from sticking to the
lens. Blood tests may be ordered by your doctor to determine the
cause iritis. In most cases, topical eye drops are all that is
needed to relieve the symptoms of iritis. However, a small percentage
of patients will require steroid injections or oral steroids.
This is particularly true if the disease is bilateral or does
not respond well to topical treatment. Iritis may recur, and it
is not uncommon for patients to have multiple episodes of iritis
even with proper treatment.
Autoimmune diseases are caused by the immune system attacking
not potentially pathogenic germs but the body's own organs.
This often leads to long-term illness and not rarely to loss
of organ function and even to early death. The cause of autoimmune
diseases is only partially known. Probable causes include an
external trigger, such as a viral infection or a drug, or a
special condition which •irritates' the immune system, such
as pregnancy. In certain congenital (ägenetic•) constellations,
a meaningful defense against for example a virus may lead because
of a close similarity between the virus and the host's own body
to a ämistaken• attack against the host's own organs. Since
the body's own organs are present after the virus has been destroyed,
and since the defense system does not recognize a difference
between the virus and those organs, it continues to attack and
attempt to destroy them. Thus two elements are necessary for
the initiation of an autoimmune disease: an external trigger
and a specific genetic constellation. If untreated the immune
system's offensive against the body lasts for the life of the
organism or until the organ is destroyed. In principle autoimmune
diseases can attack any organ. This is why autoimmune diseases
are encountered in all branches of medicine.
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