Introduction
Notify your ophthalmologist (a medical doctor who specializes in eye care and surgery) if any of the following signs or symptoms are present:
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Eye pain, including pain associated with bright light
Blurred vision Redness in the eye, especially around the iris
If you cannot reach your ophthalmologist, then seek medical attention at a hospital's emergency department.
Self-Care at Home
Iritis requires prescription medications and follow-up visits with an ophthalmologist, so seeking medical care is very important.
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Use prescription medications exactly as prescribed.
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Wear dark glasses if light worsens your eye pain.
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Take mild analgesics, such as acetaminophen(Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil), to help control some of the discomfort.
Follow-up
In all cases of iritis, follow-up care with your ophthalmologist is essential. In cases of nontraumatic iritis, your ophthalmologist will evaluate you for the presence of associated diseases.
Outlook
Traumatic iritis usually goes away within 1-2 weeks. Nontraumatic iritis may take weeks, and occasionally months, to resolve.
Infectious causes of iritis will resolve once measures are taken to treat the infection.
Certain cases of iritis (those associated with systemic diseases, such as sarcoidosis or ankylosing spondylitis) may be chronic or recurrent.
Ophthalmologists may instruct certain people who are at high risk of having recurrent iritis to always have steroid eyedrops on hand so that they may begin using them at the first sign of a recurrence.