Anterior uveitis is an inflammatory process in the vessels of the eye. The disease can spread to the iris, ciliary body, choroid. Anterior uveitis of the eye is manifested by redness, irritation, pain syndrome of this sensory organ. In addition, there is an increased sensitivity of the eye to external stimuli.
During the diagnosis, it is mandatory to examine the patient's intraocular pressure, perform ultrasound, tomography. Treatment of anterior uveitis is carried out, taking into account the factors provoking the disease. For the most part, it is carried out by prescribing topical preparations. But some of the symptoms of anterior uveitis are eliminated only with the help of complex therapy. There are also cases of surgical intervention.
About illness
Signs of anterior uveitis account for 57% of the complaints of all patients who visit an ophthalmologist. This phenomenon provokes iritis, cyclitis, choroiditis. In some cases, anterior uveitis develops due to iridocyclitis. In about 30% of cases, this disease provokes visual impairment, and sometimes blindness.
Remarkably, anterior uveitis is common among humansthanks to the many branches in the vascular eye networks. In addition, people with slow blood flow in the eyes are at risk. Because of this, microorganisms constantly linger in this area, and this leads to chronic anterior uveitis.
Varieties
This disease has several variations. The most common types of uveitis are anterior, median, posterior, and generalized. The first variety affects the iris, the ciliary body. In the second case, the ciliary body, the retina, is affected. Posterior uveitis is represented by lesions of the retina and optic nerves. If all of these areas are affected together, we are talking about a generalized form of the disease. The disease also differs in character. A special distinction is made between acute anterior uveitis, chronic and recurrent.
Reasons
Among the main factors provoking this disease are diseases of an infectious nature, allergies, injuries, metabolic disorders, hormonal levels. The largest group is represented by an infectious type of anterior uveitis - in 44% of cases, this is the diagnosis.
The disease is caused by streptococci, tubercle bacilli, fungus, herpes. The occurrence, complication of anterior uveitis is associated with the fact that the infection is in the vascular bed, getting here from the source of infection. This happens with tonsillitis, caries, tuberculosis, syphilis and many other ailments.
Allergic nature of uveitis manifests itself with increased sensitivity of the body to external conditions. For example, in the photo, anterior uveitis is represented precisely by an allergic nature.- this is the body's reaction to food or medicine. Sometimes when a person is vaccinated, a serum version of this disease appears.
Also, hormonal disorders, diseases of the circulatory system, organs of vision lead to uveitis.
Symptoms
Symptomatology in this case is different, given where the inflammatory process began and the individual characteristics of the affected organism.
The anterior uveitis shown in the photo proceeds with redness, irritation of the eye, and is also accompanied by pain. This is typical for the acute form of the disease. If the disease has become chronic, it is characterized by the appearance of "floating" points in front of the eyes, redness of the eyeballs.
One of the most important symptoms of this disease, which forms the basis of the clinical picture, is the presence of corneal precipitates. They are a collection of cells in the cornea. Among the consequences of anterior uveitis, synechia in the iris, glaucoma, and cataracts are distinguished.
Symptoms in a number of varieties of this disease are: migraines, hearing loss, psychosis, vitiligo, alopecia. There is also an increase in lymph nodes, glands, the appearance of shortness of breath, coughing.
Diagnosis
Research in anterior uveitis involves examining the eyeball, measuring intraocular pressure. Biomicroscopy reveals changes in the eyeball. Ophthalmoscopy reveals retinal detachment,all kinds of eye swelling.
Sometimes the patient has contraindications to these procedures. In this case, studies are carried out using ultrasound.
In some cases, it is necessary to conduct a Mantoux test, consult a phthisiatrician. Sometimes patients are prescribed MRI of the brain, punctures, X-rays of the spine, joints. A patient with similar complaints often consults with allergists and immunologists. Tests for the presence of chlamydia, toxoplasma, herpes and many other provoking factors may become necessary.
Therapy
The course of treatment in case of detection of such an ailment is prescribed directly by the ophthalmologist. Other specialists may also be involved. It is important that the diagnosis is carried out differentially. It is necessary to prevent all possible complications during the course of treatment. Indeed, at an advanced stage, the disease leads to blindness. At the same time, you need to get rid of the disease that provoked uveitis.
The basis of any therapeutic course in this case includes steroid drugs, immunosuppressive drugs. Antihistamines are also needed in cases where there are signs of allergies in the body.
Topical agents are important. Treatment of this kind must be carried out on an ongoing basis. If the therapeutic effect is not achieved with the use of steroid drugs, immunosuppressive drugs are used.
Increased intraocular pressure
If the course of the disease is accompanied by this negativephenomenon, hirudotherapy is used to treat anterior uveitis. Leeches relieve pressure, stabilizing it. Relief in the patient occurs in a fairly short time.
If there are complications of uveitis, surgical intervention is required. It is directed to the elimination of clouding in the vitreous body, glaucoma, cataracts. It also prevents retinal detachment. Sometimes a vitrectomy is used. If it turns out that the eyeball cannot be saved, it is eviscerated.
Prevention and prognosis
Complex therapy, timeliness of medical intervention are harbingers of a favorable prognosis. Within 6 weeks, most often there is a complete recovery of the patient. If there is a chronic form of the disease, then the likelihood of a relapse in the future is high. After all, many diseases will provoke anterior uveitis.
Often, complications of uveitis lead to the development of retinal dystrophy, glaucoma, cataracts, swelling of the eyeball. As a result, there is a significant decrease in visual acuity.
Preventive measures in this case involve the exclusion of domestic injuries of the eyeballs, the possibility of allergic reactions in the body, etc.
First signs
For the timely start of therapy for this disease, it is important to know the exact symptoms. So, usually patients themselves mistakenly diagnose conjunctivitis. They can try to recover on their own, using medicines and folk methods known to them.
But when the vision deteriorates a few days later, the patient turns to an ophthalmologist.
Most often, the symptoms begin to bother from the very first days of the onset of the disease - a person complains of redness of the eye, lacrimation, photophobia. Visual acuity is greatly reduced.
Pain occurs when pressing on the eyeball. And even with the naked eye you can see that the color of the iris has changed, and the eyes have become cloudy.
Also, the pupil begins to react less to light exposure. Its shape may become irregular due to the fact that spikes begin to hold it. Sometimes the pupil is overgrown with them completely. Examination by an ophthalmologist shows signs of pus in the eye.
Diet
The patient's dietary preferences greatly influence the favorable prognosis. It has been proven that the increase in the body's immune properties due to the diet contributes to an increase in the favorable prognosis. It is important to eat food that includes as many vitamins A and D as possible. Their concentration is high in cod liver, sunflower seeds, pumpkin, chicken eggs, wild garlic. It is useful to use various vegetable oils, oysters.
Carrots contain a lot of carotene, which is also extremely beneficial for the he alth of the eyeballs. Apricot is a source of potassium and vitamin A. Nuts are high in vitamin E. Citrus fruits contain vitamin C, which strengthens the body. It is also important to eat fatty fish.
Folk remedies
As effective methods of dealing with this eyeailment proved to be the means of traditional medicine. One of them is washing the eyeball with calendula decoction for 14 days.
You can wash your eyes with chamomile decoctions. In fact, aloe juice is a universal remedy - it is mixed with water in a ratio of 1:10, and then dripped into the eyes twice a day for 10 days.
Traditional healers have compiled the following prescription for a remedy for anterior uveitis. So, they smear the eyelids of the patient with honey, leave him to lie with his eyes closed for half an hour. It is believed that the beneficial properties of honey have a positive effect on the condition of the eyeball.
Alternative medicine advocates also grate potatoes, add parsley, and then mix these ingredients thoroughly. After that, the mixture is spread on the eyelids, covering them with gauze on top, and applying a cloth on top. The procedure should last 40 minutes.
It is important to note that lotions from marshmallow roots are very effective. It is necessary to prepare a decoction from this plant, and then, after dipping gauze into the decoction, apply it to the patient's closed eyelids.
Decoctions of medicinal plants are prepared in the same way. It is necessary to take 2 teaspoons of dry grass and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. After you need to let the broth brew for half an hour.
Help and wash the eyes with a decoction of rosemary. Often carried out and washing the eyes with decoctions of violets. One of the healers recommends washing with decoctions of mint leaves. They soothe the affected areas. It is useful to use mummy inside, following the instructions forthis healing substance.
Precaution
It is important to carefully observe the precautions when resorting to the use of folk remedies in the treatment of anterior uveitis. Otherwise, the body can only be harmed, provoking the occurrence of many negative phenomena. If the first symptoms are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor, remembering that complications of the disease lead to blindness.
If you are going to use folk remedies, you must first consult with your doctor. Otherwise, alternative methods of therapy may conflict with the official drugs used, which will reduce the effectiveness of such treatment to nothing. Only a specialist will correctly select a combination of drugs and folk remedies that will help achieve quick healing without relapse.
In addition, it is necessary to carefully read the recommendations for the use of each type of medicinal herbs before treating anterior uveitis, iridocyclitis. The thing is that their effectiveness in medicine is affected by the time of collection. If the grass is harvested at the wrong time, it will simply be ineffective. After all, the concentration of nutrients in plants varies greatly from season to season.
