Optic Nerve Atrophy Treatment in India - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

The optic nerve is responsible for transporting pictures from the eye to the brain through the spinal cord and other parts of the central nervous system. An atrophied optic nerve is referred to as atrophy of the optic nerve. Ophthalmic atrophy damages the optic nerve, which transmits visual information from your eyes to your brain. Your retina sends pictures to your brain through a network of fibers known as the optic nerve. Each fiber carries visual information to the brain.

Eye atrophy is the loss of part or all of the optic nerve's nerve cells and fibers. Damage to these nerve fibers causes blurry vision because the brain does not get all the visual information it needs. These are the possible outcomes, from mild vision changes to catastrophic vision loss. It is not an illness but rather an indication of a much more dangerous problem. Optic atrophy is caused by various illnesses that weaken the optic nerve. Vision difficulties, including blindness, may result from the disorder.

Causes of Optic Nerve Atrophy

Nerve fibers make up the optic nerve and send signals to the brain. When someone has optic atrophy, something prevents the optic nerve from doing its job properly, transferring impulses. The interference may have been brought on by a variety of circumstances, including the following:

• Glaucoma.
• A tumor is compressing an optic nerve.
• Multiple sclerosis is the root cause of optic neuritis, often known as swelling of the Eye atrophy.
• A congenital disability is characterized by abnormal development of the Eye atrophy, or the person is born with it.
• A genetic disorder described as Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy causes a person to lose eyesight in both eyes gradually. Initially, the affected individual only has trouble seeing out of one eye.

Optic Atrophy Symptoms

Optic nerve atrophy isn't always a certainty based on the below symptoms. Nevertheless, if you have any of these symptoms, you should make an appointment with an eye specialist to get a comprehensive checkup.

• The hazy vision.
• A pupil that does not contract properly when exposed to light.
• Decrease in visual function, such as a lessening in the sharpness and clarity of one's eyesight or a lessening in one's ability to see to the side. Additionally, a person's ability to see colors and their contrast sensitivity may be impacted.
• Alteration in the optic disc that your doctor would observe during a checkup.
• Diminished perception of light in one eye compared to the other.

Optic atrophy treatment focuses mostly on prevention as the primary strategy

A proper diagnosis at an early stage is very necessary for successfully controlling ocular atrophy and minimizing the damage caused by it. Optic atrophy may be diagnosed before it even begins to progress or slowed down in its early stages by taking preventative measures.

• It is important to properly store chemicals at home to stop the spread of poisons, and you should never consume alcohol that you brewed at home since methanol may cause damage to the optic nerve.
• Eye examinations and blood pressure checks should be routinely performed on anyone who is above the age of 60.
• Glaucoma is a disease that should be examined regularly, particularly if there is a history in your family.
• If your employment exposes you to harmful substances or requires strenuous physical labor, you should wear protective eyewear to prevent foreign bodies or chemicals from entering your eyes.

Diagnosis of Optic Nerve Atrophy

The appearance of particular discs may assist in concluding the origin of the injury to the optic nerve. In aged patients, giant cell arteritis may lead to significant ocular atrophy and gliosis as a potential complication. Due to the damage caused by papilledema, the head of the optic nerve may be left with glistening bodies and retinal folds. Cupping is a symptom that's associated with glaucoma.

The Coherence of Light Tomography has developed into a useful instrument for determining the health of the nerve fiber layer and the ganglion axons. Suppose the height of the nerve fiber layer is measured and compared to normative data. In that case, axon degeneration may be documented, and the source of visual loss can be distinguished between the optic nerve and retinal illness.

Eye atrophy is a condition for which no effective therapy or cure is now available. Therefore, it is essential to have routine eye examinations (particularly if you come from a family with a history of eye problems), and you should make an appointment with your ophthalmologist as soon as possible if you observe any changes in your eyesight.

Optic Atrophy Treatment

Neuroregeneration would be the optimum therapy for optic atrophy. Unfortunately, clinical adoption of these modalities is still a long way off. Eye atrophy treatment has also been mainly ineffectual with pharmacological intervention. Treating the actual cause before major harm occurs is the main focus of treatment. The use of low-vision aids might begin after the patient's condition has stabilized.

Following the intravenous administration of methylprednisolone at dosages ranging from 500 to 1000 mg per day for 3 days, patients were instructed to take oral prednisolone at a dosage of 1 mg/Kg BW for the subsequent 11 days. Multiple sclerosis and associated optic neuritis have been treated with beta-interferons plus glatiramer acetate to diminish the incidence of clinical lesions visible on MRI and the frequency of recurrences of these medications.

Neuronal illnesses may benefit greatly from stem cell therapy in the future. Progenitor cells for the retina's ganglion cells may be injected directly into the vitreous. Those cells would activate the genes that code for neurofilaments, then travel into the optic nerve of the host to promote the rebuilding of neural components.

What are other treatments available for children who have optic nerve atrophy?

A kid with ONA can have drastically impaired eyesight, and as a result, they would need more help in school. An optimal educational experience may be made possible by creating a tailored learning plan by educational professionals, schoolteachers, and low vision specialists working together often with optical technology.

Optical Nerve Atrophy and Ayurveda Treatment

Ayurvedic eye therapy for optic nerve injury plays an important part in the management, treatment, and eventual recovery from optic atrophy or neuropathy. Ayurvedic therapy for optic nerve injury relies on the recognized source of the problem. As a result of inflammation, swelling may occur inside the arteries, contributing to a blockage or interruption in blood flow, which can cause harm to the retina and optic nerve.

Several therapies are available to treat optic atrophy. Optic atrophy therapy in Ayurveda aims to preserve eyesight, reduce or reverse retinal and optic nerve deterioration, and cure the reason if it is identified. Eye atrophy therapy must begin as soon as possible for optimum outcomes.

Eyes are washed with freshly made medicinal decoctions during the Nethradhara procedure. Taking these decoctions might assist in strengthening the optic nerves.

Ghee is used to treating people in danger of losing their eyesight, such as those diagnosed with macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. A cooling effect is provided by the Akshitharpanam eye cleansing procedure, which helps to prevent eye illnesses and strengthens the optic nerve. The whole operation is repeated at regular intervals and is said to aid in the preservation of eyesight and the healing and rebuilding of the optic nerve.

During the Shirobasti procedure, the patient's head is covered with a lengthy cap that's open at the top. Hot herbal therapeutic oils are poured over the head via the top aperture. The oil is kept in a reservoir for a certain amount of time. Ayurveda often uses this method to treat Optic nerve atrophy.

One of the greatest therapies for optic atrophy is Raktamokshanam - a blood-letting procedure that uses leeches to remove blood from the skin surrounding the eyes.

Optical Nerve Atrophy FAQs