Optic Neuritis is a condition where the optic nerve, which carries visual information from the eye to the brain, becomes inflamed. Most of the damage is done to the protective myelin sheath that surrounds the nerve, which is vital for good vision. A few symptoms that occur to people who have Optic Neuritis are: distorted color vision, blurriness, pain, and even vision loss. During a routine eye exam, a doctor will look for signs of Optic Neuritis by checking the eye pressure. The eye will be measured and the pupils will be dilated in order to get a better view of each of the eye’s individual interior structures. If one does have Optic Neuritis, an MRI will be performed and it would include the special images of the optic nerve, leading to possible
…show more content…
The most common cause is Multiple Sclerosis, or MS. About half the patients who have MS develop an episode of Optic Neuritis. Axons from retinal ganglion cells form the retinal nerve fiber layer, the optic nerve, the chiasm, and optic tracts that connect with lateral geniculate nucleus. From lateral geniculate nucleus emerge the optic radiations and finally the visual cortex. The interaction between those structures on the acute and chronic damage determine the highly visual dysfunction of patients with ON and MS. (Torress-Torress, 2014) Other causes include infections such as syphilis, autoimmune disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, and B12 deficiencies. The main cause is damage to the myelin sheath covering the optic nerve, and patients who suffer from this type of inflammation and who don't have demyelinating issues have what is called Chronic relapsing inflammatory optic …show more content…
The most common treatment to limit swelling and demyelination is to give corticosteroids. The treatment starts off at 500 mg to 1000 mg IV once/day for three days. After administering the first steroid, Prednisone is given once a day for 11 days, which would speed up recovery. Although steroids help with visual recovery, it's not always the best option. After receiving the proper dosage, adverse effects can occur, such as insomnia, stomach pain, and mood alteration. With the primary form of Optic Neuritis, there would be a temporal window after patients become symptomatic due to optic nerve inflammation and visual dysfunctions, but before axonal, myelin, and somatic damage has occurred, in which therapies can be initiated to prevent permanent loss of axons and retinal ganglion cells, which are recognized as the cellular events responsible for persistent visual deficit in patients with Optic Neuritis. (Aranada, 2015) Many of the treatments are needed especially during recurrent attacks and also with patients who have a history of neurological involvement. A majority of people affected with optic neuritis can recover without treatment, although adverse effects still occur. Once the severity of the pain due to inflammation gets too high, such as pain during simple eye movement, steroid therapy would be necessary at that
The most common cause is Multiple Sclerosis, or MS. About half the patients who have MS develop an episode of Optic Neuritis. Axons from retinal ganglion cells form the retinal nerve fiber layer, the optic nerve, the chiasm, and optic tracts that connect with lateral geniculate nucleus. From lateral geniculate nucleus emerge the optic radiations and finally the visual cortex. The interaction between those structures on the acute and chronic damage determine the highly visual dysfunction of patients with ON and MS. (Torress-Torress, 2014) Other causes include infections such as syphilis, autoimmune disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, and B12 deficiencies. The main cause is damage to the myelin sheath covering the optic nerve, and patients who suffer from this type of inflammation and who don't have demyelinating issues have what is called Chronic relapsing inflammatory optic …show more content…
The most common treatment to limit swelling and demyelination is to give corticosteroids. The treatment starts off at 500 mg to 1000 mg IV once/day for three days. After administering the first steroid, Prednisone is given once a day for 11 days, which would speed up recovery. Although steroids help with visual recovery, it's not always the best option. After receiving the proper dosage, adverse effects can occur, such as insomnia, stomach pain, and mood alteration. With the primary form of Optic Neuritis, there would be a temporal window after patients become symptomatic due to optic nerve inflammation and visual dysfunctions, but before axonal, myelin, and somatic damage has occurred, in which therapies can be initiated to prevent permanent loss of axons and retinal ganglion cells, which are recognized as the cellular events responsible for persistent visual deficit in patients with Optic Neuritis. (Aranada, 2015) Many of the treatments are needed especially during recurrent attacks and also with patients who have a history of neurological involvement. A majority of people affected with optic neuritis can recover without treatment, although adverse effects still occur. Once the severity of the pain due to inflammation gets too high, such as pain during simple eye movement, steroid therapy would be necessary at that