How are eye problems associated with juvenile arthritis treated?
If eye problems do occur, your rheumatologist and ophthalmologist will discuss treatment methods to prevent permanent eye and vision damage. If your child is diagnosed with uveitis, different types of eye drops might be prescribed. Your child might need eye drops to dilate the eyes in order to keep the pupils open and help prevent scarring. Your child might also be prescribed steroid eyedrops. For example, your child might use cortisone drops to reduce swelling and decrease inflammation. Long-term use of steroid eyedrops, however, can have serious side effects, including glaucoma and cataracts. If eyedrops do not decrease the inflammation adequately, your child might be prescribed oral steroids to be taken by mouth. To avoid long-term side effects of steroids, your child might be prescribed a drug called methotrexate in oral or injectable form. For severe cases of uveitis newer types of drugs might be treated with newer drugs, such as infliximab, that are used to treat autoimmune disea
