Optic Neuritis

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Optic Neuritis

also know as Retrobulbar Neuritis

Optic neuritis is an inflammatory condition involving the optic nerve, which presents with various abnormalities of vision. The patient may notice blurred or distorted vision, reduced color vision, or a blind spot. There is also frequently a history of pain with eye movement, and this may precede the visual loss. The condition usually occurs in adults under 45 years of age, and women are affected much more frequently than men. When a patient with reduced vision presents to the ophthalmologist vision loss and eye pressure then the pupillary function is evaluated and the eyes are dilated so that the optic nerves and retina can be examined.

There is always an abnormal pupil in optic neuritis, known as an afferent pupillary defect (paradoxically dilates when light is shone in the eye). The optic nerve in this disorder may appear normal or swollen. A visual field (peripheral vision) test may then be completed, and the patient is usually scheduled to have a MRI of the brain. The MRI (in this case) is a brain-imaging study, which will assist in the determination as to whether any central nervous system lesions are present. There is a risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients with optic neuritis. Fifteen years after the onset of optic neuritis approximately 36% will develop MS. For those patients with an abnormal MRI of the brain (white matter lesions), the % risk of developing MS is much greater.

Who Gets Optic Neuritis?
1 out of 100,000 people will get Optic Neuritis. This is a very uncommon disease/infection of the eye.

Treatment
Intravenous steroid medications (not oral steroids) (may) reduce symptoms and (may) speed the recovery of Optic Neuritis. While this treatment has little if any impact on vision, it is important for overall health to recovery the eye as fast as possible to avoid damage to the optic nerve. With each new Optic Neuritis attack the damage to the optic nerve could be worse. Optic neuritis characteristically improves over a period of weeks.

For some, a complete recovery may take up to 8-10 months. they may never recover from Optic Neuritis, there is also a chance you could go blind. No tests gives any reassurance to this only time and that is the hardest part.

Signs and Symptoms
All of the following symptoms may not occur in all cases; however, they are the most common problems associated with Optic Neuritis.

Pain with eye movement (more the 90% of patients)
Tender, sore eye
Mild to servere decrease in central vision
Dull, dim vision
Reduced color perception
Decreased peripheral vision
Central blind spot
Fever
Headache
Nausea
Decreased vision following exercise, hot bath or shower
Flashing light(s) (even with eyelid closed - eye with ON)
( activities that elevate body temperature)

Race:
Caucasians are affected 8 times more frequently than blacks, asians or hispanics.

Gender:
Women have a much higher chance to get Optic Neuritis.

Age:
Approximately 20-45 years old if the age it will most likely be seen in. The condition is rare in children. Optic neuritis in children is less likely to progress to MS but in some reports, it has a worse prognosis for full vision recovery. In patients older than age 50 years, ON is less common and may be mistaken for ischemis optic neuropathy, which is more common in this age group.

When you Have Optic Neuritis: My Neurologist, Physician, Nurse and Ophthalmologist Advised that I:
Avoid working out for the first month most importantly, try to rest as much as possible, keep cool because heat makes Optic Neuritis worse. So that means avoid being in the sun if possible the 1st month or even the entire time while in recovery with ON. Try to eat healthy, get as much sleep as possible, Watching T.V. or reading or being on the computer WILL NOT make your eye worse. Note: Wearing an eye patch does help relieve some of the symptoms if reading, watching T.V. or being on the computer.

source: OpticNeuritis.us web site.

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