Add your practice details to brand this guide and generate a shareable link for your patients. Your info is saved on this computer only.
Educational content only
This page is general patient education, not medical advice. It does not diagnose conditions, recommend specific treatments for you, or replace a conversation with your eye care provider. Always consult a qualified clinician before making decisions about your eye health.
Iritis is inflammation of the colored part of your eye. It causes pain, redness, and light sensitivity — and it responds well to prompt treatment with steroid drops.
What helps
Here's the plan — and why it works.
Mainstay
Topical steroid drops
Prednisolone acetate 1% drops, often hourly at first, calm the inflammation. We taper slowly over weeks — stopping too soon causes rebound.
Comfort
Dilating drops
A dilating drop your eye doctor prescribes can relieve the painful ciliary spasm, and prevents the iris from sticking to the lens (posterior synechiae).
Workup
Searching for the cause
First episodes are usually treated symptomatically. Recurrent or bilateral iritis warrants a workup for ankylosing spondylitis, sarcoidosis, infection, and other systemic conditions.
Refractory
Systemic treatment
Severe, chronic, or autoimmune-driven cases may need oral steroids or longer-term immunomodulators — managed by a uveitis specialist.
Same-week exam if
You develop eye pain, redness, and light sensitivity that doesn't clear in 24-48 hours — and especially if you have these symptoms with a history of back pain (possible ankylosing spondylitis) or autoimmune disease.
Common questions
Honest answers to common questions.
Is this contagious?+
Not typically. Most cases are autoimmune or idiopathic — not infectious. Infectious causes do exist (herpes, syphilis, toxoplasmosis) and are part of the workup in recurrent cases.
Why do I need so many drops?+
Iritis responds to drops in proportion to how often they're used. Hourly drops in the first days bring the inflammation under control; under-dosing prolongs the episode.
Can I stop drops once I feel better?+
No — abrupt stopping causes a rebound flare. Your eye doctor will taper the drops slowly over several weeks, sometimes longer.
Will it come back?+
Recurrence is common — about 1 in 3 patients have a second episode. After 2 or more episodes, your eye doctor will work with you to find any underlying cause and a long-term plan.
Will it damage my vision?+
Treated promptly, iritis usually leaves no lasting effect. Long-standing or repeated inflammation can cause cataract, glaucoma, or macular swelling — which is why we treat early.