diagnosed with scleritis. help please

[Jenarry]

I have had problems on and off for yrs with my eyes and have had different diagnoses from Gps and opticians over the years but last week whilst I've been having a particularly bad eye flare up I was diagnosed by my GP with scleritis which rings true.
The doctor was amazed that no-one else had recognised it but the whole appointment seemed rushed and he didn't give me much information. I asked if can prevent it at all and he just said no. and he more or less told me to look it up on the internet to find out about it. :O(
So i've looked into it and found out some information but i'm left wondering what causes the eye/s to get red like the do when they do or is it just a random thing. why can i go ages without a problem then i seem to have it on and off for months?would moisturising eye drops or ointment used daily help at all?
And finally he told me to look out for signs of arthritis and bowel problems which is common alongside this condition. How likely is it i will get either of these and could i possibly just suffer with the eye condition only?
As I speak I can feel achiness in my ankles and knees and i'm wondering is this arthritis or just achiness as I have no idea what to look out for.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Sqad]

\\\\I have had problems on and off for yrs with my eyes and have had different diagnoses from Gps and opticians over the years \\\

This situation is nonsense...........ask to be refered to an Ophthalmologist for an expert opinion.

IF....IF....the diagnosis of scleritis IS correct........then this will need further investigation as there may well be extra ocular implications.

[ummmm]

I agree with Sqad. Any on going problem with the eyes the GP 'should' refer you to an Ophthalmologist.

(I have 3 kids with eye problems)

[Jenarry]

Do you know sqad after all the previous things i've been told I've been thinking how do I know this is right . I was going to ask to be referred when I saw the doctor but he seemed so sure of what he was saying but you're right. I will go back to my surgery tomorrow.

[slaney]

I agree completely with Sqad, the diagnosis cannot be made on clinical examination alone, but needs consultation/examination with an Ophthalmologist and very likely other tests as well.

[Eve]

You do need to be seen by a specialist. How bad do they get? Is there an emergency eye clinic near you? There is one in my local hospital though it's a large eye hospital in its own right.

I got sent there by my GP surgery when I had blurred vision and they gave me an appointment to come back to their clinic.

I was sent again when my episcleritis got worse (a fun 4 and a half hours yesterday!) and even though it's a lot more superficial and much less serious than scleritis they gave me steroid eye drops and more lubricating drops (already got them and ointment from the clinic for dry eyes) and suggested ibuprofen but I'm not allowed to take it on my arthritis meds. They also booked me into clinic on Monday to check on it.

You need specialist advice, things like if you have to use eyedrops very frequently then they tend to go for preservative free ones.

If there is any query over arthritis or any underlying cause they may be able to pick up clues in blood tests and can also refer you internally eg to rhumatology. I've been told my episcleritis is arthritis related though I've been suffering with bad arthritis problems and seeing a gastroenterologist for years now.

Have they had a look with the orange stain they put in your eye and through a (I think) slit lamp? The red eye optician who first diagnosed mine said he knew what it was as soon as he did that.

I hope you get some help for it soon.

[Jenarry]

hello jenna. usually my eye problems look worse than they feel,with a lot of redness in the whites of either one or both of my eyes but no discomfort..
Recently i seemed to have had more incidents of this than usual and when i had it last week my eyes looked worse than usual and they were really sore.
the GP took a very long close look but didn't use a slit lamp and just gave me steriod drops to use for this current flare up to ease the discomfort.
I really want to get checked out by a specialist and i've made an appointment to see the same GP next week but feeling a bit worried about going in there virtually saying how do i know you are right. :O(

[boxtops]

It's your right to ask for a second opinion or a referral, jenarry - most GPs are generalists not specialists (and that's not a criticism), you are perfectly within your rights to ask to see a consultant.