Prevent Blindness seeks to bring awareness to eye inflammation with Inflammatory Eye Disease (IED) Awareness Week

Prevent Blindness has declared the week of September 18 through September 24 as Inflammatory Eye Disease (IED) Awareness Week. (Adobe Stock / Audrius Merfeldas)

Prevent Blindness has declared the week of September 18 through September 24 as Inflammatory Eye Disease (IED) Awareness Week.

In a press release from Prevent Blindness, the company stated this third annual declaration aims to “educate the public on ways to protect vision and prevent unnecessary vision loss.”¹

Uveitis, keratits, conjunctivitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid eye disease are all forms of IEDs. In addition to downloadable fact sheets, Prevent Blindness is also hosting a dedicated webpage for education on IEDs.

Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness, and Steven Yeh, MD, Professor and Stanley Truhlsen Jr Chair of Ophthalmology, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center sat down to have a discussion about uveitis and other IEDs.

“Although ‘Inflammatory Eye Disease’ may not be a term that most people are familiar with, it is a condition that can have severe impact on vision if left untreated,” said Todd. “We encourage people to educate themselves on the various types of IEDs and whether they are at risk for, or have developed them already, to help prevent unnecessary vision loss.”

The company stressed that since IEDs can cause permanent damage to the eyes and vision loss that cannot be reversed, anyone who notices any signs or symptoms of an IED should make an appointment to see a professional eye doctor immediately.

References:

1. Prevent Blindness Offers Information on Inflammatory Eye Diseases, Including a New Video, Fact Sheets and Social Media Graphics, to Educate Public on Ways to Protect Vision and Prevent Unnecessary Vision Loss. Press Release. Released September 15, 2023. Accessed September 18, 2023. https://preventblindness.org/2023-inflammatory-eye-disease-week/