The iris is basically that part of the eye which is a pigmented membrane and is circular and is that part of the eye that gives it its color. The iris is known to be made up of muscular fibers that perform the function of controlling the amount of light that enters the pupil so that the person can see clearly. Iritis of the eye is a medical condition of the eye wherein the iris tends to get inflamed. The causes of iritis of the eye could be either non traumatic or traumatic. In fact in many cases of iritis of the eye the exact cause for the medical condition may not be diagnosed. Traumatic causes of iritis of the eye include blunt trauma to the eye which may result in an inflammation of the iris. Similarly non traumatic causes include diseases such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, reiter syndrome and so on. Some of the infectious causes of iritis of the eye also include tuberculosis, lyme disease and even toxoplasmosis.
Iritis of the eye is known to develop very quickly and is usually found to affect just one eye and not both eyes at the same time. Some of the symptoms of iritis of the eye include worsened eye pain when the infected eye is exposed to a bright light, pain in the brow or eye region, headaches, blurred vision, reddening of the eye and even a funny shaped or small pupil. In order to know what is iritis one should also be able to accurately identify the symptoms of iritis and then one may get a more accurate diagnosis of the iritis of the eye through tests such as examining the eye with a special microscope that is specifically designed to conduct eye exams.
Another one of the tests that the ophthalmologist may conduct to determine if the person is suffering form iritis of the eye is to shine a bright light in the unaffected eye. This will result in the pupils of both the eyes to constrict and this movement of the iris in the affected eye will cause pain and confirm the diagnosis. One of the home remedies for iritis is to frequently drink some ginger tea as this is known to help in reducing the inflammation that is associated with iritis of the eye. The treatment of the symptoms of iritis of the eye may also include the use of prescription medication in the form of pills or even eye drops. In order to gain relief from the pain and discomfort associated with iritis of the eye, one of the home remedies for iritis is to apply a hot compress against the affected eye to gain some temporary relief from the pain. The treatment for iritis should be immediate on diagnosis because in some serious condition when not treated immediately, iritis may even result in the development of glaucoma or a cataract. One of the treatments for iritis of the eye includes the use of dark glasses which help in blocking any bright light that would otherwise cause pain to the affected eye.
In some cases the doctor may also prescribe some steroids to treat iritis but this is usually only in extreme cases where other treatment options have not been very successful in treating iritis of the eye. In some cases the doctor will also suggest the use of antibacterial eye drops if the iritis of the eye is caused by a virus or bacteria. Eye drops are known to be effective because they tend to cause the pupils and the iris to open thus ensuring that no scar tissue is formed while the eye is healing.