Scleritis is a serious infammatory disease of the sclera. It is frequently associated with autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus; therefore, it is not always classified as an ophthalmic disease. Because it is considered a systemic condition, diagnosis requires blood tests to rule out underlying causes. Symptoms include blurred vision, severe eye pain and tenderness, red patches on the sclera, photophobia and tearing. There is also an unexplained relationship with menstruation. Diagnosis is initially made visually, lifting the eyelid to examine the extent of the disease. Local treatment includes the use of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroid drops. If there is an underlying disease, then medications may be prescribed for those conditions as well.

Scleritis usually responds to treatment; however, it will recur. If untreated, serious complications, including perforation of the eyeball, may occur.

In TCM, scleritis is referred to as huŏ gān (火疳, fre rickets). It is an ophthalmologic condition characterized by evil heat atacking upward, resulting in a painful, purplishred nodular swelling sensitive to palpation. In minor cases, the afected eye may be dry, painful and uncomfortable, with tearing and photophobia. In severe cases, there will be unbearable pain that radiates into the eye socket and forehead, even afecting the vision.

This condition is usually caused by the accumulation of excessive heat in the lung with inhibited qi dynamic, qi stagnation and blood stasis. Toxic heat in the heart and lung can accumulate internally and ascend to attack the sclera. Alternately, winddampness can cause obstruction in the channels that transforms to heat. The heat follows the channels to ascend and atack the sclera. Besides, depressed heat in the lung channel may injure the yin, resulting in defcient heat moving upwards to burn and damage the sclera. The cause of this disease is related to the lung, spleen and kidney. It has both excessive and defcient paterns.