Tennessee Retina - Uveitis
October is Uveitis Awareness Month and we want to take the time to highlight our uveitis department and educate you about this diagnosis. We have our own uveitis team here at TN Retina. Dr. Akshay Thomas is our uveitis specialist. He has a particular interest with all forms of ocular inflammatory diseases; including all forms of uveitis, scleritis, and orbital inflammation. He serves along with uveitis coordinators Lish, Meredith, Rebekah and Ashley.
Uveitis is a condition characterized by inflammation in the eye. Such inflammation may be caused by autoimmune conditions or infections affecting the entire body or isolated to the eye. Uveitis may involve one or both eyes and can affect any part of the eye. Tennessee Retina Serves as a tertiary Referral center for complex cases of uveitis.
The symptoms a patient with uveitis experiences varies based on the location of predominant inflammation. Patient with significant inflammation in the front of the eye may experience redness, pain, light-sensitivity and blurry vision. Patients with significant inflammation in the back of the eye may experience floaters, blurry vision, sparkling lights or visual field defects.
The treatment approach to uveitis depends on the extent of inflammation. Uveitis may have a short (acute) or prolonged (chronic) course and treatment is tailored to each individual. Treatment may range from steroids (administered as eye drops, local injections, pills or infusions) to complex immunosuppressive medications. Depending on the underlying cause of uveitis, we may involve an infectious disease specialist, rheumatologist or neurologist to provide you with the best care possible.
In cases of chronic uveitis, long-term therapy is often needed to improve vision and maintain disease-free remission.
The uveitis team will put together the best treatment plan for your specific diagnosis and be at your side throughout your care. Follow this link to learn more about our uveitis department https://www.tnretina.com/retinal-care/uveitis
