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Uveitis: the signs, the types, the causes, the eye exam, and treatment
For anyone whose eye is suddenly red, painful, blurry or bothered by light, or who sees floaters; anyone with lupus, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis or another disease of the immune system, or with shingles or another infection; anyone who smokes; anyone given steroid eye drops, pills or a shot; anyone whose uveitis went away and came back; and anyone just told they have it. The National Eye Institute (NEI, part of the NIH) says uveitis is inflammation inside your eye; that it can happen when your immune system is fighting an eye infection, or when it attacks healthy tissue in your eyes; and that it can cause vision loss if it isn’t treated, so it’s important to see your eye doctor right away if you have symptoms. This page passes on, by name, what NEI says: the signs, the uvea and the four types, who gets it and what causes it, the eye exam, and the treatments. It builds the words to say to an eye doctor, and prints a card to keep.
Right now
- Eye pain, a red eye, light hurting, blurry vision or floaters? NEI says to see your eye doctor right away. If you can’t reach them today, say so on the phone and ask where to go (ours).
- Suddenly a lot of new floaters, flashes of light, or a curtain over your sight? These are the warning signs of a detached retina: go to an eye doctor or an emergency room now (the retinal detachment page), and call 911 in an emergency. A hurt eye: the eye injury page (ours).
- Thoughts of suicide? Call or text 988, any hour (ours).
More help
- Linked to it, on this site: Eyes and sight: find the right page · Retinal detachment · An eye injury · Eye care · Cataracts · Glaucoma.
- Diseases NEI names among the causes, on this site: Ankylosing spondylitis · Lupus · Psoriasis · Reactive arthritis · Shingles · HIV.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · My medicines · Get ready for your appointment · Quit smoking.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
Your eyes or your sight, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for a hurt or pink eye, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes and the eyes, macular degeneration, a detached retina, dry eye, fading sight and eye care you can afford, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 16, 2026 on one National Eye Institute (NIH) page: Uveitis (last updated December 4, 2024). Ours: that suddenly a lot of new floaters, flashes or a curtain are the warning signs of a detached retina, and 911 in an emergency; the eye injury page; 988 for thoughts of suicide; not stopping or changing steroid drops or pills on your own; what to bring to the eye exam; the questions to ask at a visit; help to quit smoking; health centers when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: NEI’s research news and its picture of the eye. NEI’s list of autoimmune diseases that can cause uveitis also names AIDS; we pass that name on as one NEI names. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.