Optic Neuritis: What You Need to Know

Optic neuritis is a swelling of the optic nerve. It happens when an infection or disease causes swelling in the eye’s nerve. The optic nerve is a bundle of over one million nerves that send signals from your eye to your brain. The optic nerve sits at the back of your eye, and it is also known as the second cranial nerve.

The swelling often causes temporary loss of vision and pain in the affected eye, or sometimes both eyes. The good news is that the swelling can heal on its own, but severe cases of optic neuritis require immediate medical care.

What Causes Optic Neuritis?

Optic neuritis can develop because of an illness or without any particular cause. Experts believe that the condition develops when the patient’s immune system targets their optic nerve’s protective covering by mistake, resulting in swelling and damage to the nerve.

The nerve diseases that can trigger optic neuritis include multiple sclerosis (MS), Schilder’s disease (a chronic illness that wears out the protective covering of the optic nerve), and neuromyelitis optica.

Similarly, infections that may bring about optic neuritis include measles, mumps, tuberculosis, shingles, meningitis, Lyme disease, viral encephalitis, and sinusitis. Other causes include certain drugs and chemicals, immune response after vaccinations, sarcoidosis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome (an illness where the immune system fights the nervous system).

Warning Signs of Optic Neuritis

The most common signs of optic neuritis are:

• Loss of vision in one eye or difficulty seeing how far away something is. Vision loss can vary from mild to serious and can last seven to 10 days.
• Blurry spots or seeing quick light flashes.
• Difficulty seeing color, particularly the color red.
• Soreness around the affected eye that worsens when you move the eye.
• Foggy vision.
• Headaches.
• Vision becoming worse when your body temperature increases.

Diagnosing Optic Neuritis

If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned, see your eye doctor. They will examine you and perform any of the following tests to assess your health.

An Eye Exam

Your doctor will use light to examine the back of your eye, see how your pupils respond to light, as well as how well you see colors and shapes.

Blood Test

This test will assess certain antibodies and check whether they are damaging your optic nerve.

Visual Evoked Response Exam

This involves looking at patterns on a screen to examine how your brain responds to what you see.

MRI

Your doctor will take pictures of your optic nerve, certain parts of your eye, as well as your brain to determine the presence of irregularities.

Risk Factors for Optic Neuritis

Factors that may put you at risk of developing optic neuritis include:

• Age - It mostly affects adults between the ages of 20 and 40.

• Race - Occurs often in Caucasians.

• Sex - Women are more vulnerable to the disease than men are.

• Genetic changes - Certain genetic changes may put you at a higher risk for developing optic neuritis.

To know more about optic neuritis, visit Quality Eye Care at our Gainesville or Jacksonville, Florida offices. To book an appointment today, call (904) 601-1300.