Ep. 254 "If You Have Psoriatic Disease Keep an Eye Out for Uveitis"

Have a red, painful eye that's sensitive to light? Could be uveitis. Hear ophthalmologist Dr. Timothy Janetos discuss uveitis and how it relates to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Join host Takieyah Mathis for an eye opening discussion about uveitis, cataracts, and eye health with ophthalmologist Dr. Timonthy Janetos from Northwestern Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology. Listen as they discuss what is uveitis and cataracts from key symptoms, the significance of the HLA-B27 marker, diagnosis, to treatment options that help reduce inflammation and preserve long term vision.

This episode offers information to help you advocate for your eye health by recognizing when you need help from an ophthalmologist and what actions you can take to reduce your risks associated with uveitis.

Timestamps:

· (0:00) Intro to Psound Bytes & guest welcome ophthalmologist Dr. Timothy Milton Janetos.

· (1:21) Definition of uveitis and the relationship to psoriatic disease.

· (5:35) Symptoms of uveitis.

· (7:45) How uveitis is diagnosed.

· (9:24) Treatment options for uveitis.

· (13:11) What happens if eye injections are needed as treatment.

· (14:47) Association between inflammation, psoriatic disease, and cataracts.

· (15:48) Symptoms of a cataract.

· (16:33) Treatment for cataracts.

· (21:11) New advancements in treating uveitis and cataracts.

· (25:50) General eye health actions to help reduce risks associated with inflammation. Early detection is key.

4 Key Takeaways:

· Uveitis is a huge spectrum of different diseases with about half of the associations due to chronic, immune related diseases like psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.

· If you wake up with a red, painful eye that's sensitive to light, seek help from an ophthalmologist right away to minimize risk of scar tissue formation.

· Work with a health care team to treat all aspects of psoriatic disease to reduce inflammation whether it's in the skin, joints, and/or the eye.

· Lifestyle changes such as stop smoking and yearly eye exams are actions that can help reduce inflammatory factors and maintain overall eye health.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Timothy Milton Janetos is a board-certified and nationally recognized ophthalmologist with Northwestern Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology who specializes in uveitis and cataract surgery. He is also an Assistant Professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology. Dr. Janetos offers comprehensive care using a personalized treatment plan for both children and adults with intraocular inflammation and infections. He is a professional member of the American Uveitis Society (AUS) and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), as well as the Editor for Frontiers in Ophthalmology and an Editorial Board Member for Annals of Eye Science.

Resources:

Ø Psoriatic Arthritis and Uveitis: What's it All About? Podcast with rheumatologist and ophthalmologist Dr. James Rosenbaum. (Released in 2019.) https://www.psoriasis.org/watch-and-listen/psoriatic-arthritis-and-uveitis-whats-it-all-about-psa/

Ø Eye Inflammation and Psoriatic Arthritis

https://www.psoriasis.org/advance/eye-inflammation-and- psoriatic-arthritis/