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Optic Nerve Diseases

What does an abnormal optic nerve mean?

What does an abnormal optic nerve mean?

Individuals who have an abnormal optic nerve shape could have glaucoma, which results from increased intraocular pressure, or other eye conditions and may require treatment or further intervention to preserve optimal vision.

Optic Nerve Diseases

The most prominent neurological diseases and disorders are the following: 

1. Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

It is a sudden loss of vision due to interruption of blood flow to the optic nerve or part of it, and it has two forms:

  • Arterial disease: It occurs more commonly in patients 55 years of age or older, and occurs more frequently in women than in men.
  • Arteriovenous dystrophy: More common than arteriovenous neuropathy, it appears at any age, but the risk is higher in people over 50. 

Cerebral optic neuropathy symptoms

The patient’s vision is suddenly damaged, but this is preceded by a group of symptoms as follows:

  • Feeling of pain when chewing . 
  • Pain or tingling in the scalp and neck. 
  • Muscle aches, especially in the upper legs or arms. 
  • Feeling tired and lethargic. 
  • Anorexia. 
  • Sudden weight loss. 
  • fever. 

The loss of sight is suddenly without any signs or symptoms may indicate the occurrence of any damage to the optic nerve and most of these cases are in the case of optic neuropathy cerebral Alleshraana, and there is no relationship between visual impairment with the development of the disease optic neuropathy.

2. Optic neuritis

 when the immune system targets and fights the substance that covers the optic nerve. This inflammation is usually associated with various immune conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and spinal cord inflammation.

Optic neuritis usually affects one eye, and the patient has a set of symptoms as follows: 

  • Eye pain that gets worse with eye movement, and sometimes the pain feels like a slight soreness in the eye. 
  • Deterioration of vision in the affected eye that may develop over days and may improve over several weeks to months, and some may experience permanent vision loss. 
  • Loss of side vision such as: loss of central vision or loss of peripheral vision.
  • Inability to distinguish colors, the patient may see colors less brightly. 

3. Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy 

It is an uncommon genetic disorder that damages the optic nerve, affects both eyes and leads to vision loss, and is caused by abnormal genes inherited only from the mother.

  • Symptoms of Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy

Among the most common symptoms and signs that appear on the patient are the following: 

  • Blurred vision .
  • Severe loss of visual acuity and color vision. 
  • Negatively affects the ability to read, drive and recognize faces.
  • Disturbances in the functions of the heart or nervous system.
  • movement disorders;

4. Other diseases affecting the optic nerve

Other optic nerve disorders and diseases include: 

  1. Papilledema: It is swelling of the optic nerve as a result of the buildup of pressure in and around the brain. It is a medical condition that needs attention and follow-up. If not treated, it may lead to vision loss.
  2. Toxic and Nutritional Amblyopia: It is damage to the optic nerve due to malnutrition or exposure to toxic and harmful substances, such as: lead, alcohol and some medications, where vision is gradually lost. 

How is optic nerve disease diagnosed? 

The specialist doctor performs a set of tests to determine the disease or ailment in the eye to be treated in an appropriate way, and these tests include the following: 

  • eye check. 
  • Perform an ophthalmoscopy. 
  • Eye imaging, such as an MRI.
  • Perform genetic testing. 

 treatment

  1. Removing the abscess if it collects in the eye. 
  2. Antibiotics to fight inflammation and infection. 
  3. Control of risk factors associated with the optic nerve, such as: blood pressure, diabetes , and weight. 
  4. Optic nerve decompression with a surgical procedure that removes part of the bony canal that houses the optic nerve. 
  5. Prescribe some vitamin supplements to patients. 
  6. Tell the patient to stop drinking alcohol and improve his diet.  

source : wikipedia 

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