b'Symptom ManaBementTTaakkiinnggaaCClloosseerrLLooookkaattOOppttiiccNNeeuurriittiissVisual symptoms should beevaluated promptlyBy Dr. Eugene F. MayOptic neuritis occurs when there is nerve(aconditionknownasopticatrophy),inammationineitherorbothopticnerves. evenifvisionrecovers.Everyonehastwoopticnerves(oneconnected Studieshaveshownthattreatmentofoptictoeacheye),eachofwhichtransmitvisual neuritiswithsteroidmedication(methyl-signalsfromtheeyetothebrain.The prednisolone,prednisone,ordexamethasone,characteristicsymptomofopticneuritisis forexample)resultsinmorerapidresolutionthereforeblurredvision(andsometimeseven ofthesymptomsofopticneuritis,comparedlossofvision)intheaectedeyeoreyes.There tonotreatment.Itislikely,however,thataisalsoverycommonlypainbehindtheeye, personsultimatevisualoutcomeafteropticwhichincreaseswitheyemovement.Some neuritisisnodierent,whetherornottheypeoplenoticespotsintheirvisionwhenthey aretreatedwithsteroids.Therefore,adecisionhaveopticneuritis,andthereisoften aboutwhetherornottotreatopticneuritisimpairmentofcolorvisionintheaectedeye. withsteroidsshouldbemadeafteradetailedTheinammationofopticneuritisresolves discussionbetweentheaectedpersonandaonitsown,usuallyduringthecourseofseveral neurologistorneuro-ophthalmologist.Thereweeks.Thepainofopticneuritisalwaysgoes isreasontothinkthatlowormoderatedosesawayrst,astheinammationintheoptic ofsteroidmedicationforopticneuritiscannerveresolves.Visionusuallygetsbetter,too, increasetheriskofarecurrencelateron,sobutmoreslowly.Byfar,mostpeoplewithoptic highdosesaregenerallyused.neuritiswindupwithnormalornear-normal Visionandopticnervehealtharemeasuredvisionafterrecovering,butnotalways.Upto inanumberofdifferentways,inorderto15percentofpeoplewithopticneuritisare diagnoseandmonitoropticneuritis.Visualleftwithmoderatetoseverevisionlossinthe acuity(readingthelettersonthewallchart),aectedeye(s).Repetitiveepisodesofoptic colorvision (usually looking at patternedneuritisarelikelytocauseprogressivevision coloredspotsandmakingoutnumbers),andloss.Almostallpeoplewhohavehadoptic peripheral vision testing are generallyneuritisexperiencesomedamagetotheoptic performedatthetimeofdiagnosis,andatmsfocusmagazine.org 12'