What is Iritis (Anterior Uveitis)?

Iritis is an inflammatory eye condition involving the Iris. It is the most common of the conditions which fall under the umbrella term Uveitis – it may also be referred to as Anterior Uveitis.

The Iris is a muscle located towards the front of the eye and is seen as a coloured circular disc. This circular muscle controls the amount of light entering the eye by increasing or decreasing the size of the pupil. When the iris or surrounding structures (such as the ciliary body) become inflamed, this is called iritis.

Iritis is usually simply dealt with if treatment is commenced as soon as symptoms appear, however visual impairment and in extreme cases, complete blindness can result if left untreated. In fact, iritis is one of the most common causes of avoidable blindness. Once treated, iritis can reoccur. At this point the root cause of the problem is likely to be investigated. Even if the problem is investigated, many patients never find out exactly why they are prone to iritis.

Iritis can affect anyone but you are far more likely to develop the condition if you have one or more of the causes of iritis.

Diagnosis of iritis should ultimately be performed by an Ophthalmologist. They will observe both the exterior and interior of the affected eye to determine the exact nature of the problem. It is likely that a simple vision test will also be conducted.