Q: I am 59 years old. Last month I went to an eye doctor as I had redness in my right eye. He asked for certain, which all were normal except the haemoglobin was down. I was prescribed Prednisolone acetate eye drops, tropicacyl eye drops and Zobid. Again after a week, I went to the doctor as I had redness and pain. He told me that my retina is swollen and the cause is unknown, so he again prescribed lotepred eye drops, aculur eye drops, homide eye drops and Zobid. When I again went for a follow up, he checked my eyes and said that the swelling and the redness was the same. To add to this I have a fresh injury so he padded my eye for a day after putting some medicine. I want to know the cause for this? It becomes severe due to direct sunlight. Why are the medicines not helping me?

A:It sounds like you have iritis (Uveitis), in which the eye goes red, is inflamed and sensitive to bright lights, painful and waters as well. Later on vision gets blurred as well if not treated properly and in time. It needs intensive treatment with eye drops, ointment and sometimes injection in the eye as well, if it does not respond to treatment soon enough, otherwise vision can be permanently affected. Even the eye pressure can be raised. It is caused by some unknown cause or inflammation in bone, joints or some other organ in the body or what is called autoimmunity. Treatment is steroid locally and sometimes systemically, in addition to treating the cause of the disease. Persevere with the treatment but sometimes it may be advisable to have second opinion from another eye specialist just to make sure that treatment and diagnosis is correct. It can be a chronic and recurrent condition in spite of treatment.