The EYES have it! Uveitis, that is!

ps.  Does the inflammation highway ever run out of track?  I don’t think so!  Todays stop boys and girls will be recurring anterior uveitis.  You-vee itis?  Me-vee-itis?  We all you-me-itis!

This is my second round of pretty bad uveitis-bad enough for the men in white to give me an iv of steroids and a shot in the eyes of the same.  YES, I said a Shot In The Eyes.
My last bout-December 2012 came accompanied with sacroiliitis, alias inflammatory arthritis, alias “are you kidding me” kind of pain.  So far it’s starting about the same.  While uveitis can come to the inflammation party on its own-there are alot of conditions that also can cause it.  In my case docs just blamed the L-Word although my grandmother had ankylosing spondylitis-and she may have set a genetic trap for me.  lol.  There’s a genetic marker-it is called HLA-B27 tissue type and testing is appropriate if you have both sacroiliitis and chronic recurring anterior uveitis.
Here’s what to look for in the inflammation of the eye: 
And here’s my eyes: 

Of course the uveitis highjacked a malar rash and low grade fever  on it’s way to rain on my surgery recovery parade.  Just when I thought it was safe to start dibbling and dabbling with projects and posts.  It’s getting better now by leaps and bounds thanks to the evil but wonderful prednisone and steroid drops.  All the white floaters are gone (I CAN SEE AGAIN) and the pressure and inflammatory pain is down!  Yippeee!  I don’t know about you-but lupus might be the great imitator-however I am the great procrastinator-and that trumps lupus. 
Here is some info about Uveitis (there is more than one kind) and also while playing around I found a new medicine in trial stages for eye inflammation.  This is potentially sight-saving.  And unfortunately-once lupus stops at the door of the eyes, it comes back often to the party.
From Mayo.com:
The signs, symptoms and characteristics of uveitis include:

• Eye redness
• Eye pain
• Light sensitivity
• Blurred vision
• Dark, floating spots in your field of vision (floaters)
• Decreased vision
• Whitish area (hypopyon) inside the eye in front of the lower part of the colored area of the eye (iris)

The site of uveitis varies and is described by where in the eye it occurs.

• Anterior uveitis affects the front of your eye (also called iritis).
• Posterior uveitis affects the back of your eye (also called choroiditis).
• Intermediary uveitis affects the ciliary body (also called cyclitis).
• Panuveitis occurs when all layers of the uvea are inflamed.

In any of these conditions, the jelly-like material in the center of your eye (vitreous) can also become inflamed and infiltrated with inflammatory cells.
Symptoms may occur suddenly and get worse quickly, though in some cases, symptoms develop gradually. Symptoms may be noticeable in one or both eyes.
When to see a doctor
Contact your doctor if you think you may have symptoms of uveitis. Your doctor may refer you to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist). If you’re having significant eye pain and new vision problems, seek prompt medical attention.
If uveitis is caused by an underlying condition, treatment will focus on that specific condition. The goal of treatment is to reduce the inflammation in your eye.
Treatment of uveitis may include:

• Anti-inflammatory medication. Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication, such as a corticosteroid, to treat your uveitis. This medication may be given as eyedrops. Or, you may be given corticosteroid pills or an injection into the eye. For people with difficult-to-treat posterior uveitis, a device that’s implanted in your eye may be an option. This device slowly releases corticosteroid medication into your eye for about 2 1/2 years.
• Antibiotic or antiviral medication. If uveitis is caused by an infection, antibiotics, antiviral medications or other medicines may be given with or without corticosteroids to bring the infection under control.
• Immunosuppressive or cell-destroying (cytotoxic) medication. Immunosuppressive or cytotoxic agents may be necessary if your uveitis doesn’t respond well to corticosteroids or becomes severe enough to threaten your vision.
• Surgery. Vitrectomy — surgery to remove some of the jelly-like material in your eye (vitreous) — may be necessary both for diagnosis and management of your uveitis. A small sample of the vitreous can help identify a specific cause of eye inflammation, such as a virus, bacterium or lymphoma. The procedure may also be used to remove developing scar tissue in the vitreous.

The part of your eye affected by uveitis — either the front (anterior) or back (posterior) of the uvea — may determine how quickly your eye heals. Uveitis affecting the back of your eye tends to heal more slowly than uveitis in the front of the eye. Severe inflammation takes longer to clear up than mild inflammation does.
Uveitis can come back. Make an appointment with your doctor if any of your symptoms reappear after successful treatment.

Eye Disease: Preliminary Findings On Uveitis Drug

Aug. 22, 2012 — Shree Kurup, M.D., director of research in the ophthalmology department at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, will present the preliminary findings of a Phase 3 clinical trial on a new drug for the treatment of uveitis, a serious inflammatory condition of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye that provides most of the blood supply to the retina.
Link to Clinical Trials for NEW uveitis medication!