Optic Neuritis

Optic Neuritis

Optic Neuritis (also known as "retrobulbar neuritis") is an inflammation of the optic nerve that can cause vision loss in the affected eye.

This condition:

Is more common in females than males
Almost always appears unilaterally (only in one eye)
Typically affects younger people
Appears more often in Caucasians

It is often characterized by:

Eye pain in a significant number of those affected by it.
Blurred vision (What do people with Optic Neuritis See?)
Poor colour vision
Poor depth perception

While this condition is believed to have a number of causes, it can often be linked with Multiple Sclerosis. The demyelination characterizing MS causes the problems associated with the condition, and can have an effect on optic nerves, too. In fact, according to the US National MS Society, 55% of those who have MS are also affected by Optic Neuritis.

In most people, Optic Neuritis goes away on its own within a couple of weeks, but when tied to MS, it is more likely to return. At the height of a flare up, swelling in the optic nerve impedes its ability to send clear visual signals to the brain, but when the swelling subsides, near-normal visual functioning can usually be restored. This makes chronic Optic Neuritis a frustrating condition, since most people do not understand how someone can have poor vision one day, and good vision the next.

In one sense, coping with Optic Neuritis requires the same skills as coping with any other visual impairment; people with this condition operate best when they have developed effective adaptation strategies. Technological advances, for example, have spawned a variety of computer programs designed to aid the visually impaired. Some of these are even available online. Screen covers or plastic page covers designed to reduce glare, coupled with good lighting, can also make a difference.

People with Optic Neuritis must be assertive. While the public may be mystified by talk of a visual impairment that comes and goes, this is, in fact, a real condition with verifiable signs and symptoms. Those affected are entitled to a functional vision assessment, and are best served when provided with adaptive equipment. In Canada, the United States, and most of Europe, the definition of "visual impairment" has been enlarged to encompass problems that show up more readily in day-to-day activities than on the eye chart.

Find out more about Optic Neuritis:

Giant Optic Neuritis Fact Sheet From e-Medicine. Includes pictures.
Optic Neuritis Point form information.
The University of Illinois (Chicago) Optic Neuritis page.

- New Vision 2003