Optic neuritis

Optic neuritis is an acute disease that manifests itself as an inflammation of the optic nerve. In some cases, patients already at the initial stages of acute optic neuritis. Often happens with a variety of neurological diseases.

There are cases when this disease is combined with multiple sclerosis . This disease is slowly progressing and is manifested by demyelination. Inflammation of the optic nerve can be the beginning of sclerosis or its development for several years to come. Therefore, it is worthwhile to be careful not to allow the progression of such a disease.

Why does the disease progress?

Any process that is caused by inflammation or compression of the optic nerve, as well as various tumors, nutritional deficiencies, intoxication - all prevent the ability to conduct a good electrical impulse.

This is a kind of disruption of the signals from the eye to the brain. Nerve fibers are difficult to convey information and people can not adequately perceive the world around them. There is progress in the development of the disease and nervous system disorders. Everyone has different symptoms, taking into account the age of the patient. There are cases when the symptoms are practically not significant, and the disease spreads quite quickly.

The main symptoms of optic neuritis

1. It hurts to move my eyes.
2. Pain is present in the eye at rest.
3. Reduced vision
4. Reduces the perception of light, its brightness.
5. The peripheral field of vision is narrowing.
6. The presence of a blind spot in the center.
7. Fever.
8. Often there is nausea.
9. Headache.
10. At physical exertion, the clearness of vision is especially reduced, as well as after a shower, bath or bath.

Causes of optic neuritis

To date, the cause of the appearance of optic neuritis is unknown. Many scientists believe that such a disease occurs when the immune system begins to "attack" myelin - a substance that covers the optic nerve. This process leads to inflammation and damage to myelin. It is this substance that is responsible for transmitting visual information to the brain. Thus, this work slows down and signals are received much less often, and the form of their transmission is damaged. Scientists to this day can not figure out what exactly makes the immune system "attack" myelin.

Quite often the reasons for the development of neuritis include the following factors:

• various infectious diseases;
• cranial arteritis;
• a lot of drugs that are not taken according to the doctor's prescription;
• radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer cells.

Treatment of optic neuritis

Optic neuritis is treated only with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and special steroid hormones. It can also be a variety of ointments, injections and pills in individual cases. Sometimes the patient is prescribed antibiotics. In the most severe cases, surgical intervention is required. This operation is called decompression of the optic nerve shell. In this case, the skin is opened to reduce the pressure of the optic nerve. The pressure, as a rule, always rises in the course of the disease due to edema.

Based on many years of experience in our medicine, it became known that the treatment of optic neuritis with steroid hormones several times reduces the likelihood of multiple sclerosis in the future. This is a very good find, because virtually all patients who have suffered neuritis, suffer from multiple sclerosis. Such a disease is very important for the general condition of the body.