The eye is a vital structure in the body that allows people to see the world around them. The nerves in the eye can sometimes become damaged, or specific parts of the eye can become inflamed. This can lead to blurry vision, double vision, eye pain or loss of vision. Fortunately, different eye disease have specific treatments.
Optic Neuritis
Optic neuritis is a condition in which the nerve in the eye, called the optic nerve, becomes inflamed. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of optic neuritis include eye pain that gets worse with eye movement, visual loss and loss of color vision. Infections, diabetes and certain drugs like ethambutol can lead to optic neuritis.
Multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica are two conditions that are frequently associated with optic neuritis. Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disorder in which the body begins to destroy the myelin (outer covering) of the nerves in the body. Neuromyelitis optica refers to a condition in which the spinal cord and nerves in the body become inflamed.
Uveal Coloboma
The National Eye Institute states that uveal coloboma is a condition in which tissue in or around the eye is actually missing. Specific symptoms include reduced vision in a certain visual field. For example, a person suffering with uveal coloboma may not be able to see things out of the right upper portion of his visual field. Uveal coloboma is typically inherited.
Uveitis
Uveitis refers to a type of inflammation that affects the uvea, the blood vessel region of the eye that is located between the retina (back part of the eye) and the white part of the eye (sclera). The Mayo Clinic says that uveitis is most common in people between the ages of 20 and 50. Symptoms include eye pain, eye redness, blurry vision, light sensitivity, decreased vision and floaters (dark spots within the field of vision). The exact cause of uveitis is unclear, but it is associated with eye injuries, autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory disorders such as Crohn's disease, cancers like lymphoma and infections like tuberculosis.
