Optic Neuritis Treatment in India - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Eye-to-brain communication through the optic nerve is impaired when swelling causes damage to its bundle of nerve fibers, leading to Optic Neuritis. Optic Neuritis may cause eye discomfort and even a loss of vision in one eye for a short period.

Inflammation of the optic nerve is known as Optic Neuritis. When you look at anything, your brain receives light signals from your eye's optic nerve. Visual clarity may be compromised due to swelling, injury, or infection of the optic nerve. Optic Neuritis is a mystery to doctors since they don't understand what triggers it. This illness might be brought on by the body's immune system destroying tissue found in the optic nerve by accident. In persons with viral illnesses, including mumps, measles, flu, and MS, amongst many others, it seems to be more prone to occur.

Causes of Optic Neuritis

There is no clear understanding of what leads to Optic Neuritis. Inflammation and myelin damage are thought to be the consequence of the immune system wrongly targeting the tissue protecting your optic nerve. In a normal situation, the myelin facilitates the rapid transmission of electrical signals from the retina to the brain, which is responsible for converting these impulses into information about vision. This process is thrown off by optic Neuritis, which causes visual problems. There may be other explanations for the Optic neuritis causes that are more complicated, including:

1. Multiple sclerosis (MS) -

The myelin coating that protects the brain's nerve fibers is attacked by your immune cells in multiple sclerosis. After a single episode of Optic Neuritis, a person's lifetime chance of having multiple sclerosis is around fifty percent, according to research conducted on persons who have had optic Neuritis. If an MRI of your brain indicates that you have lesions, your chance of getting multiple sclerosis after having optic neuritis will rise even higher.

2. Immunodeficiency of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) -

The spinal cord, Optic nerve, and brain inflammation are all possible outcomes of this illness. Similar to multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica, inflammation may reoccur. Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is a more common complication than MOG attacks.

3. Optic neuropathy -

Eye and spinal cord inflammation are common with this illness. The symptoms of neuromyelitis optica are similar to those of multiple sclerosis; however, unlike MS, neuromyelitis optica seldom results in nerve harm to the brain. Neuromyelitis Optica, on the other hand, is more serious and generally results in a slower recovery after an episode than MS.

Symptoms of Optic Neuritis

Symptoms of Optic Neuritis is as follows:

• Optic Neuritis typically affects just one eye but may, on occasion, manifest in both eyes simultaneously, which is about one in 10 times.
• Vision problems such as dimming, haziness, decreased color perception, and loss of some or all of the center field of vision are common symptoms of macular degeneration.
• Vision loss is frequent and usually develops over a few days before leveling out between one and two weeks later.
• When some persons exercise or put themselves under a lot of physical strain, they report that their eyesight gets blurrier.
• Nighttime vision may be impaired owing to difficulties with contrast and glare, making it more difficult to see.
• When a person has optic Neuritis, they may have visual disturbances such as flashing lights which is about 1 in 3 people.
• Most individuals with ON complain of ocular discomfort, which often becomes more severe when they move their eyes.

How does one determine whether or not someone has Optic Neuritis?

In most cases, a doctor will first inquire about your complaints and previous health conditions. After that, a physical examination will be carried out. To provide you with the most effective therapy, your physician may want to do further tests to identify the root cause of your ON. Blood testing and a study of cerebrospinal fluid are also possible ways to diagnose the Neuritis of the eye. The physician could also ask for imaging tests such as:

• A scan called optical coherence tomography, which examines the nerves in the posterior portion of the eye.
• A computed tomography (CT) scan generates an X-ray picture in cross-section.
• An MRI scan, also known as a magnetic resonance imaging scan, is a diagnostic procedure that creates a detailed picture of your mind or other regions of your body by combining a magnetic field with radio waves.

Optic Neuritis Treatment

The problem often resolves itself without medical intervention. Your physician will most likely provide high-dose steroid medications to you via an IV to reasonably facilitate your recovery. This medication may also reduce your chance of other issues associated with MS, or it may postpone the condition's onset if it is the reason. However, although these medications will help reduce the swelling, your eyesight will not improve due to taking them. Your physician could recommend different therapies, such as the following in certain circumstances:

You may also hear it referred to as plasma exchange in addition to intravenous immune globulin, or IVIG. This is a pharmaceutical product that is created using blood. The medication is injected into a vein in the arm. It is expensive, and the medical community is not sure it is effective. But if your symptoms are severe and steroid treatment hasn't helped you, or you can't take them, this might be possible. If you are diagnosed with Optic Neuritis, and an MRI of your brain reveals that you have lesions, you may be eligible for this therapy on an ongoing basis.

Injections of vitamin B12 Optic neuritis are an extremely uncommon condition, but it may occur when the body does not get enough of this vitamin. In these circumstances, physicians may recommend higher doses of vitamin B12.

Your physician will treat the underlying ailment if they determine that it is the cause of your Optic Neuritis.

What are the potential risks associated with optic Neuritis?

If you use corticosteroids for an extended period, you risk experiencing systemic adverse effects, including increased blood sugar levels, excess weight, and bone issues. Overall, allowing the illness to take its course rather than treating it with corticosteroids is likely to result in a better result. On the other hand, intravenous steroids may help prevent future bouts of Optic Neuritis in persons with specific brain abnormalities that may be observed on MRI.

What kind of connection does multiple sclerosis have with Optic Neuritis?

There is a significant correlation between Optic Neuritis and multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis causes demyelination throughout the brain and spinal cord. Multiple sclerosis may produce various symptoms, like blindness, double vision, weakness in the limbs, trouble walking, and lack of bladder control. MS patients who get Optic Neuritis as their initial symptom are between 15 and 20%. After the onset of the other MS symptoms, optic Neuritis will manifest in an additional 30 percent of persons with multiple sclerosis at some point in their lives. It is a fortunate fact that most people diagnosed with severe Optic Neuritis and who have a healthy brain MRI without any further signs of demyelination do not go on to develop multiple sclerosis.

Optic Neuritis Treatments May be Done at Home

• Epsom salts is advised that you soak in a bath containing Epsom salts three times each week to lessen the inflammation in the nerves.
• Inflamed nerves benefit from and are protected by vitamin B supplements such as vitamin B2, B12, and pantothenic acid. They perform the function of antioxidants.
• When you have painful periods of Neuritis, you should change your diet to avoid coffee, cereals, tea, tinned meat and fish, and white bread.
• Juice made from vegetables, such as spinach, beets, and carrots, may lessen inflammation in the nerves and the pain that results from it.
• You may assist reduce nerve irritation by putting in Twenty minutes of light exercise each day, such as a brisk walk.

Optic Neuritis FAQs