Eales disease is a rare disease of the eye that is named after the findings of Henry Eales back in the 1880s. The findings involve in Eales disease involve abnormalities and hemorrhages in the peripheral part of the retinal veins of the eyes. With this eye disease, there is expected inflammation in the retinal vein periphery which will later cause obstruction in a person’s vision. The same inflammation can also cause possible blocking of the retinal vessels or stimulate abnormal growth in its periphery. The involvement of the retinal vessels may also cause hemorrhage in the surrounding areas.

When people have Eales disease, they typically suffer impairment or loss of vision. This is secondary to the hemorrhage that involves the peripheral retinal vessels. Some patients will experience floating spots in their visual area which could be very annoying and disturbing. In severe cases, the retina itself may be detached and some patients will also have a hard time controlling eye movements. Most people that get Eales disease experience the symptoms in both eyes.

Eales disease is classified as an idiopathic type of disorder . This simply means that there is no known cause for this rare eye disease. No allergens, specific medications, or environmental factors were determined to lead people to acquiring this eye disease. In terms of diagnosis, Eales disease is often differentiated with other eye conditions in order to get the most appropriate treatment. Patients with other retinal disorders or retinopathies, and vasculitis for example may present some symptoms of this disease and therefore needs to get differentiated. For treatment and management, various techniques are proposed by different doctors and experts. Some doctors prescribe hormone and systemic steroid therapy. There are also patients who will need eye injections with different types of drugs depending on the symptom and severity of the condition.