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
Prevent Blindness has declared Sept. 18 – 24, 2023, as the third annual Inflammatory Eye Disease (IED) Awareness Week. IEDs include a range of conditions associated with eye inflammation.
Different types of IED include Uveitis, Keratitis, Conjunctivitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Thyroid Eye Disease. In addition to free downloadable fact sheets and social media graphics in English and Spanish, Prevent Blindness hosts a dedicated webpage on IEDs, and a listing financial assistance resources. IED Awareness Week is supported by a grant from Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.
Prevent Blindness is also debuting a new episode in the online Focus on Eye Health Expert Series, “Uveitis and Inflammatory Eye Diseases.” Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness, interviews Steven Yeh, MD, Professor and Stanley Truhlsen Jr. Chair of Ophthalmology, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Yeh is also a volunteer on the Prevent Blindness Scientific Committee.
In addition to uveitis, there are many other types of IED. To help explain, Prevent Blindness offers the “Inflammatory Eye Disease” episode of the Focus on Eye Health Expert Series. This episode features Ann-Marie Lobo-Chan, MD, MS, of the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Co-Director, Uveitis Service, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, and patient Addison Schwaller, Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant at Logansport Memorial Hospital in Logansport, Ind.
“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.”
More information on inflammatory eye disease
Vision care financial assistance programs
Download a copy of the 2023 Inflammatory Eye Disease Awareness Week media release.