What Are the Symptoms of Uveitis?

Written by Tammy Worth, Susan Bernstein
Medically Reviewed by Whitney Seltman, OD and Zilpah Sheikh, MD on March 25, 2025
8 min read

Uveitis is a common condition that inflames your uvea. It's the layer of tissue inside the wall of your eye. Uveitis can affect people of all ages. But it’s more common in older adults. And it can cause a range of symptoms, such as:

  • Blurry vision
  • Floating spots in your vision
  • Eye pain and redness
  • Light sensitivity

Some symptoms appear and worsen slowly. But others may get worse quickly after showing up. There are four types of uveitis: 

  • Anterior appears in the front of your eye.
  • Intermediate affects the middle of your eye, behind your eye’s lens.
  • Posterior happens in the back of your eye.
  • Panuveitis inflames your entire eye.

“Inflammation can damage the eye tissue, which can cause changes to vision or permanent vision loss if not treated properly, " explains Purnima Patel, MD, an ophthalmologist at ORA Vision in Norcross, Georgia, and Board of Trustess member for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Because untreated uveitis can get serious, get medical help right away if you have symptoms. "Uveitis can lead to glaucoma, early cataract development, or swelling of the retina,” says Patel.

This is the most common type of uveitis. About 80 out of 100 people have inflammation in the front of their eye (anterior). 

It’s sometimes called iritis, because it can inflame your iris. Your iris is the colored part of your eye. 

Anterior uveitis can also affect the ciliary body behind your iris. It's a ring of muscle that helps the lens of your eye change shape. This focuses visual objects on your retina so you can see better.

Symptoms of anterior uveitis can mean you have:

  • Red or irritated eyes.
  • Eye pain.
  • Blurry vision.
  • Sensitivity to light.
  • Pupils that change to an irregular shape.
  • White liquid around your iris or lower part of your eye.
  • Swelling of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the white part of your eye.

Intermediate uveitis can mean you have inflammation in certain parts of your eye, such as:

  • Retina at the back of your eye, which sends signals to your brain and processes your vision.
  • Blood vessels behind the lens of your eye.
  • The ciliary body behind your iris, which is the muscled ring-shaped structure.
  • Vitreous humor, the gel in the center of your eye.

If the gel (vitreous humor) gets inflamed, it can lead to pars planitis. If the ciliary body is swollen, it’s called cyclitis.

Intermediate uveitis isn’t usually visible, but you may notice vision changes if you have it. Symptoms of intermediate uveitis can mean you:

  • See new or obvious floaters, such as lines, threads, dots, or shadows. That's because the fluid in your eye changes or shrinks.
  • Have gaps or missing parts in your field of vision.
  • Get worsening vision.

This type of uveitis can mean you have inflammation at the back of your eye. Your retina or the choroid (a layer on top of the retina filled with blood vessels) may also be inflamed.

Also called choroiditis, it’s the rarest kind of uveitis. But if left untreated, posterior uveitis can raise your risk for vision loss. 

The symptoms are not as obvious, but you might get:

  • Floaters
  • Light sensitivity
  • Blurry vision or vision that isn’t as sharp
  • Difficulty seeing colors or seeing in the dark 

If you think you have posterior uveitis, consult your doctor.

Panuveitis is when all areas of your uvea are inflamed. Your entire eye will be affected, from the front to the back of your eye. 

If you have this kind of uveitis, you can have any of the other uveitis symptoms. You can have:

  • Floaters
  • Light sensitivity
  • Blurry vision or vision that isn’t as sharp
  • Difficulty seeing colors or seeing in the dark 
  • Get worsening vision
  • Red or irritated eyes
  • Eye pain
  • Pupils that change to an irregular shape
  • White liquid around your iris or lower part of your eye
  • Swelling of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the white part of your eye
  • Watery eyes
  • Unusual flashes of light

“Any of these symptoms can also be associated with several other eye conditions. And can make a full eye exam and proper evaluation by an ophthalmologist to determine the cause of these symptoms imperative,” says Patel. 

There's no cure for uveitis, but the faster you get treatment, the better your odds of managing your eye problem. Your eye doctor can help you sort out what may be causing these issues.

Uveitis needs to be treated right away to prevent lasting problems, says Patel. How quickly symptoms go away depends on where the uveitis is in your eye.

An ophthalmologist (doctor who treats eyes) will ask you about your medical history. They'll also give you a detailed eye exam and physical. Your doctor may also order imaging tests for your eyes, says Patel. 

Uveitis in the front of your eye usually heals faster than at the back of your eye. Based on your test results, your eye doctor may order blood or additional imaging scans. These can include X-rays to fully look at your entire body (systemic evaluation), says Patel. 

These tests help your doctor measure the inflammation in your eye. They'll help them find out what's causing the problem and your best treatment. Keep in mind that uveitis can come back, even after your treatment. If your symptoms return or worsen, contact your doctor right away.

About half of the time, there is no specific cause for your uveitis. When this happens, it’s typically called an autoimmune disease of your eye.

If your doctor finds a cause for your uveitis, it typically happens due to an autoimmune disease, infection, eye injury, or cancer.

Autoimmune disease causes for uveitis

These happen when your immune system attacks your organs and tissues. It can affect your eyes, too. Specific autoimmune diseases that also cause uveitis include:

  • Ankylosing spondylitis: A condition where bones in the spine may fuse, causing back pain.
  • Behcet’s disease: It can cause frequent bouts of sores in your mouth and around the genitals.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis: IBD can cause sores and inflammation in your digestive tract.
  • Multiple sclerosis: An inflammatory disorder of the nervous system that rarely causes uveitis.
  • Psoriasis: An autoimmune condition that causes scaly, itchy, inflamed patches on the skin, often on the elbows, torso, knees, and scalp.
  • Reactive arthritis: Joint pain caused by an autoimmune reaction to an infection, usually in your intestines, genitals, or urinary tract.
  • Lupus: A condition where your immune system can damage organs and tissues in your body, such as your heart, kidneys, joints, and skin.
  • Sarcoidosis: A condition where you have lumps in areas such as your lungs, eyes, or lymph nodes.
  • Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome (TINU): A rare condition that affects your kidneys but is uncommon.
  • Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome: The second most common cause of uveitis in Japan, often affecting both eyes.
  • Sjögren’s disease: It can sometimes cause chronic anterior and posterior uveitis.

Infections causing uveitis

Some infections can lead to uveitis. You may not even know you have one. When an infection is the cause, it usually affects one eye. In some cases, uveitis can come long after you’ve had an infection.

Many infections can trigger uveitis, including:

  • Herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores.
  • Varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles.
  • Tuberculosis (TB), caused by bacteria that you can breathe in.
  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, a common virus that often has no symptoms but can cause uveitis in weakened immune systems.
  • Mumps, a virus that causes swelling in your neck and muscle aches.
  • West Nile virus, an infection usually spread by a mosquito bite.
  • Lyme disease, an infection typically caused by a tick bite.
  • Cat-scratch disease, usually spread by the bite or scratch of an infected cat.
  • AIDS, a chronic disease caused by HIV.
  • Syphilis, a sexually transmitted bacterial infection.
  • COVID-19, a virus that can cause a serious, life-threatening infection.

It’s rare, but you can also get uveitis after a fungal or parasite infection. For example, histoplasmosis or toxoplasmosis infections can cause uveitis. Toxoplasmosis is caused by contact with infected cat litter. You can get histoplasmosis from eating contaminated meat, shellfish, or produce.

Medication causes for uveitis

Uveitis can be a side effect of some medications. You can sometimes get uveitis if you take:

  • Bisphosphonates, used to treat osteoporosis and other bone density conditions.
  • Brimonodine eye drops, used to treat some types of glaucoma.
  • Cidofovir, which prevents and treats viral infections.
  • Rifabutin, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections.
  • Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and checkpoint inhibitor therapies, often used to treat cancer.

Eye injury leading to uveitis

Some eye injuries can cause swelling and inflammation in your eye. This can trigger uveitis. And it may happen if the muscles or blood vessels of your eye get damaged in an injury or surgery.

Inflammation is your body’s natural response to heal the eye. Even a small trauma or bruise of the eye can trigger uveitis.

Cancer and uveitis

Even though it’s rare, some cancers, such as lymphoma (a blood cancer), can cause uveitis. And some metastatic cancers can also cause it.

Uveitis is inflammation in the tissue of one or both of your eyes. It’s often caused by an autoimmune condition, but you can also get it from infections, eye injury, or rarely from cancer. Uveitis can look like other eye conditions, too. If left untreated, certain types of uveitis can put you at risk for vision loss. So, if you have symptoms, talk to your doctor right away to get treated.

How to check for uveitis

You will need to see an eye doctor if you think you have symptoms. They’ll perform an eye exam and check the pressure in your eyes. They may also take your blood and run imaging tests, including an X-ray, to help find the cause of your uveitis.

What is the trigger of uveitis?

Uveitis can happen without any particular cause. But it often occurs as a side effect of an autoimmune disease, medication, infection, eye injury, or rarely due to cancer.

What vitamin deficiency causes uveitis?

Uveitis isn’t caused by a vitamin deficiency. But studies show that taking vitamin D may help you stay well and reduce the chance of getting infections that could lead to uveitis.

Can uveitis be cured permanently?

There’s no specific cure for uveitis. But your doctor can successfully treat it. They can also cure some of the conditions that cause uveitis. For example, some infections that cause uveitis are curable. And uveitis treatments can also reduce your chances of vision loss.

Treatment includes medications and sometimes surgery, which should relieve symptoms. If you have uveitis and your symptoms get worse, talk to your doctor right away.

What foods reduce uveitis?

There are no specific foods that reduce your chance of getting uveitis. But eating a healthy, nutritious diet with foods that fight inflammation may help. If you have uveitis, ask your doctor about your diet and what you can do.