Optic neuritis: causes, symptoms and treatment
What is optic neuritis? Does it affect vision? What are its causes and symptoms? Is it possible to cure it? Find out the answers now.
Sometimes the optic nerve may become inflamed, what is this condition and how does it affect vision? Here is the most important information.
What is optic neuritis?
The optic nerve is a group of nerve fibers that transmit theoretical information from the eye to the brain.
The optic nerve is coated with a fatty substance known as myelin, which helps electrical impulses travel quickly from the eye to the brain to be translated there.
In the event that the optic nerve becomes inflamed, the myelin is damaged, which hinders the rapid transmission of electrical impulses from the eye to the brain, and this may cause you to lose vision or cause pain when moving the eye or reduce the ability of the eye to distinguish colors.
Optic neuritis is a health condition associated with multiple sclerosis, a disease that damages nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Also, optic neuritis may be a result of infection with other diseases such as lupus.
Symptoms of optic neuritis
The general symptoms of optic neuritis are:
Vision loss:
Usually, it is in one eye only, and it may be blurred vision or the presence of a completely dark spot. This can last up to two weeks in some cases.
Pain around the eye area:
This pain increases when the eyes are moved.
Loss of the ability to distinguish colors:
It may appear differently to the normal situation and you may not be able to distinguish between some colors.
Illumination in the eye:
They appear when moving the eyes.
Poor vision: an increase in body temperature for any reason that changes the patient's vision.
Causes of optic neuritis
It is not yet clear what causes optic neuritis, and some believe that the infection occurs when the immune system develops a fight against the substance that envelops the optic nerves.
Optic neuritis can affect one eye or both, and this disease affects people between the ages of 20-50 years, and it is more common among women.
Taking some types of medication, such as antibiotics, may be linked to optic neuritis sometimes.
There are some risk factors that increase the risk of developing optic neuritis, including:
Bacterial infection: such as infection with Lyme disease
Viral infection: such as infection with the herpes virus
Having lupus
Sarcoidosis.
Treating optic neuritis
The vision loss caused by optic neuritis is usually temporary and improves on its own after several weeks or months without treatment.
Unfortunately in some cases the loss of vision may be permanent.
As for the other symptoms, if they are severe, i.e. if they involve both eyes, the doctor may prescribe steroids for you, which help speed up the treatment process, but do not treat the eye itself.
On the other hand, taking steroids long term may leave unwanted side effects such as weight gain, bone problems and high blood sugar level.
Things that you can do at home to help treat optic neuritis include:
Follow a healthy diet
Drink enough water
Avoid smoking and quit
Stop taking hot baths.
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