What Causes And Increases The Risk Of Uveitis?

Inflammatory Conditions

Two inflammatory conditions, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are quite often associated with uveitis. Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth all the way to the anus. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and fever. Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, results from an inflamed colon and rectum. Ulcers develop on the lining of the colon, producing pus and causing bleeding. While it may sound strange that two distinctly different areas of the body could be so connected, the tissues in both the eye and bowels are very similar. The immune system also attacks these tissues in the same way. In fact, symptoms may present in the eyes long before the gastrointestinal complications begin to become apparent.

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Smoking

While smoking has been a known risk factor for eye issues such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts for several decades, scientists have only recently started to understand its association with uveitis. In a 2010 study conducted in California, scientists analyzed the medical records of uveitis patients seen at an eye clinic between 2002 and 2009. The researchers looked specifically at whether the patients were smokers or non-smokers. After analyzing the material, the study authors determined the subjects who were smokers had 2.2 times the risk of developing uveitis when compared to patients at the clinic who had never smoked. In particular, the authors noted a very strong link between smoking and the incidence of swelling in the center of the retina among patients with a specific type of uveitis. Although additional research is needed to determine the reasons for this association, eye doctors believe the link exists because cigarette smoke and tobacco products contain compounds that promote inflammation throughout the body, including in the eyes.

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