The Causes and Symptoms of Traumatic and Chemical Iritis

Iritis is a form of eye injury that involves swelling of the uvea and/or the iris. The uvea is the inside lining of your eye, and this is kind of eye problem is also known as uveitis or iridocylitis.

The two kinds of iritis is that traumatic and the chemical burn, however, it is possible to have iritis without being injured. In the case of traumatic iritis, the cause could be an accident or being hit by an object. This is very common among young men especially, and may or may not be serious enough to cause any damage to their vision.

With chemical iritis, the cause is a reaction to a chemical burn. This is a serious eye injury and can cause major eye damage. The risks of losing your vision, or even your eye is very high, especially if not treated immediately. There are reasons why many household cleaners are labeled with the cautionary “keep away from reach of children,” and this is because of the ingredients in the product that can cause severe damage to the physical wellbeing of a person.

The symptoms of traumatic and chemical iritis are tearing, pain, blurred vision, swelling, sensitivity to light, and for chemical iritis, a burning sensation. However, since these symptoms may also be a sign of another kind of eye problem or eye infection, an eye doctor must be consulted. Self diagnosis in this case will work against you.

Eye treatment for traumatic iritis or chemical iritis would depend on the physical condition and health of the victim. In other words, factors such as age, medical history, current health conditions, drug tolerance, and degree of eye infection will have to be taken into consideration.

Initially, first aid that an eye doctor would do prior to an eye exam would be to irrigate the eye well. He may also prescribe pain medication and general anesthesia if the patient is too traumatized to lie still.

If you have severe headaches or feel nauseous after the incident, consult with your eye doctor immediately. There could be a complication or a need to change medication. You will also be asked to refrain from exposure to harsh light, as well as bed rest, if necessary, for at least 3 days.

If your condition improves after 3 days or so, you had a single case of iritis. However, it is possible to have repeated symptoms which means that you have developed chronic iritis. In this case, your eye doctor will have to recommend a long term eye treatment plan for you.