Uveitis is essentially inflammation inside your eye.
Understanding Uveitis
Uveitis occurs when there is inflammation inside the eye, and this can happen for a variety of reasons. It's important to understand that inflammation is usually a result of your immune system responding to something.
How Does Inflammation Start?
- Immune System Response: Often, uveitis is a reaction of your immune system.
- Fighting Infection: Sometimes, your immune system is trying to fight an actual infection in your eye.
- Attacking Healthy Tissue: In other cases, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue within your eye. This is known as an autoimmune response.
Key Points About Uveitis
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Definition | Inflammation inside the eye. |
| Cause | Can be caused by infection or when your immune system attacks healthy eye tissue. |
| Immune System | The immune system plays a central role in uveitis. Either fighting a real infection or incorrectly attacking the eye tissues. |
Practical Insights
- Recognizing the cause of uveitis is important for treatment.
- Uveitis can have different underlying triggers requiring varied treatment approaches.
In summary, uveitis is an inflammation within the eye, triggered by the immune system, which could either be fighting off an infection or mistakenly targeting the healthy tissue of the eye.
