Anatom3DScleritis and episcleritis
Scleritis et episcleritis · Skleritida a episkleritida
What it is
Inflammation of the eye's white wall: episcleritis is surface, mild and self-limiting; scleritis is deep, painful and threatens sight, and in half is part of rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis or another systemic disease.
Symptoms & signs
- Episcleritis: red patch, mild ache, normal vision
- scleritis: severe boring eye pain that wakes at night
- pain spreading to jaw and forehead
- bluish-red eye, tender
- blurred vision
🚩 Get help if…
- call 112 / 911 now Severe, deep eye pain that wakes you at night
- call 112 / 911 now Red eye with blurred vision or light sensitivity
- see a doctor soon Red eye that isn't better in 2 weeks
- see a doctor soon Eye redness with joint pain or a known rheumatic disease
Where it strikes
Medical treatment
- Episcleritis: lubricants, sometimes short steroid drops
- scleritis: urgent eye review
- Oral NSAIDs, then oral steroids trials support
- immunosuppressants (methotrexate, rituximab) for systemic disease
- blood tests for rheumatoid, ANCA vasculitis
Natural & lifestyle
- Cold compresses for episcleritis
Emerging & experimental
- Biologics (infliximab, adalimumab) for resistant scleritis
Alternative, off-label & anecdotal
Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.
- Omega-3 fatty acids — help dry eye in some trials; untested in scleritis mixed evidence
- Turmeric — anti-inflammatory in the laboratory; no eye trials anecdotal / traditional
ICD codes
- ICD-10 H15
- ICD-11 9B5Z Disorders of sclera, unspecified