What causes optic neuritis?

Optic Neuritis is a condition that has piqued the interest of many researchers and optometrists for decades. This ailment, which affects one’s optic nerve, can bring about some not-so-pleasant surprises. Optic neuritis causes visual impairment or blindness in severe cases.

The causes of this mysterious malady have been a subject of much debate and study over time, but we are yet to get conclusive answers on what leads to optic neuritis. So let us don our Sherlock Holmes hat and magnifying glass as we attempt to crack the case of what causes optic neuritis.

What Is Optic Neuritis?

As earlier stated, optic neuritis is an eye disorder where there is inflammation of your optic nerve. Your optic nerve transfers impulses from your eyes to your brain enabling you see images. When inflamed or damaged by some unknown forces (as we will learn later), it impairs vision hence making sight difficult or blurry in varying levels depending on how serious it is.

Some tell-tale signs include loss of color perception, sensitivity to light and pain when moving eyes due to inflammation around the affected area among others listed below:

  1. Blurred vision
  2. Loss of peripheral vision
  3. Decreased contrast sensitivity
  4. Pain when moving eyes 
    5.Symptoms that worsen with exercise or heat
    6.Central visual field loss( mostly occurring if untreated)

Causes Of Optic Neuritis

With no definitive known source causing this predicament identifying risk factors associated with developing this condition seems like picking up straws out in fields during stormy conditions.

Researchers studying people who have developed optics neurits found commonalities between them such as Women being more susceptible than men, multiple sclerosis history being diagnosed prior et.al [¹] Among other factors mentioned below:

Antibody Attack

During sightedness , your immune systems prompt energies when detecting infection or foreign bodies. Which is wholly paramount . However, sometimes antibodies can attack constituents of normal organs such as the optic nerve leading to inflammation and damage [²]

Multiple Sclerosis

Optic neuritis might also co-occur with multiple sclerosis (MS), which researchers regard as one of its potential symptoms. In this scenario, a person’s immune system begins to break down myelin — protective sheaths around the body’s nerves, including optic nerves — leading to scars in various parts of an individual central neural system such as spinal cord or brain.

However, research shows that not all patients who develop severe cases during MS return negative diagnosis for MS post-treatment furthering proof that there could be other causes that we are yet to unravel [³].

Physical Injury

Physical injuries behind or around the eye area frequently associate with Optic Neuritis development – well some kinds at least. Diseases known to cause injury-focused neuropathy include :

Shingles virus
Lupus

Generally speaking though physical trauma occurrence rate for optic neuritis is fairly low hence it provides limited causative clues vis-a-vis risks compared capacity…Gotcha! I digress let us heed onward.

Treatment And Prevention

Whenever someone experiences any signs mentioned above seek aid from health practitioners without delay lest you lose vision impairment entirely.
Here are treatment options available:

  • Relative Rest: Forego activities increasing tension within eyes especially computer usage et al while subduing strenuous activities 
  • Immunomodulatory Therapy attempts restraining activity cortisone suppressing antigens arresting inflammatory effect against infected area
  • Plasma Exchange/IVIG treatment aims replacing affected plasma with fresh uncontaminated ones assaulting inflammatory triggerers thus aiding healing processes[⁴]

As far as prevention goes according to National Eye Institute Managing Systematic conditions inducing risk factors related to optic neuritis such as diabetes and Multiple sclerosis is one of the effective ways [⁵]. In essence, Optic Neuritis remains a mystery slowly being unmasked through constant research engagement.

Conclusion

Notwithstanding decades of skepticism, it seems there’s still much to unravel as we keep trying to find out what causes optic neuritis. However, with more attention given towards ongoing explorations by researchers globally coupled with advancements made in technology – perhaps it won’t be long until we finally detect this malady’s root course thus inventions of medical alternatives not only for treatment but prevention means gains ground yield maximum care possible centered around years-long mutinous disease that is..Optic Neuritis.
Stay tuned folks!

[¹] Ophthalmology journal
[²] PubMed Central (PMC)
[³] British Medical Journal-ResearchGate 
[⁴] National MS Society
[⁵] American Academy Of Ophthalmology

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