Is it possible to prevent Optic Neuritis?

[Ireland326]

Hi everyone, my name is Erin. I was diagnosed with MS in 2008 without having many symptoms. Right around Thanksgiving of 2009 I got a headache behind my left eye that hurt mainly when i looked to the sides or up. This headache stayed with me until January of 2010 when I went to my neurologist who looked very closely at my MRI for optic neuritis, but didn't see anything. A few days after my appointment my vision went blurry/I got double vision, so I was put on a 3 day course of IV steroids and things went back to normal.

I have been relapse free since then but I recently was sick with what I think was a virus, and as I was getting better I started to get the same type of headache behind my eye, this time my right eye, though. I am hoping this will not lead to ON again, though my neurologist thought the headache lasting 2 months was strange last time. Does anyone have any thoughts or similar experiences? I am just curious if there is anything I can do to avoid getting ON in this eye.

Thanks for reading!

[22cyclist]

If it is ON you can't prevent it, however, you can shorten your symptoms with a short course of IV steroids again. You can call your neurologist with your symptoms and explain that this time started just like the last time. They may or may not want to give you a short course of steroids to shorten the attack.

In any case they will want to examine you. Have you gone to the eye doc or the neurologist for an exam with these new headaches? It might be a good idea. Inflammation can start early so no need to wait for full on blurry vision.

If it is just a headache, you will have lost nothing. Otherwise, you can save yourself some time.

In any case, none of us can diagnose you here, you need to be seen so that someone can look at your optic nerve.

I hope the best for you! ON is no fun.

[Alicious]

FWIW, my neuro-ophthalmologist told me that ON only shows on an MRI semi-reliably within the first two weeks of onset, and even then often doesn't show. After two weeks, it rarely makes an appearance on the MRI at all, even if the ON is still going strong. So, by her explanation, your MRI would almost certainly have not shown ON a few months after onset, if that is indeed what it was.

[BigA]

I get a headache behind my left eye sometimes for different periods. I think it's a common symptom.

[Sir-Voor]

Optic Neuritis is inflammation of the optic nerve, so ask yourself “what is causing the inflammation?”.
There are three common causes; diet, inactivity, and heat.
So even though they will not 100% prevent ON, anti-inflammation diet and exercise are great at reducing the chances and severity of ON problems.

Plus consider this inflammation of the barrier allows the lesion causing cells to pass into the brain, and it is the inflammation of the lesions that cause a lot of the damage.
I recommend NutritionData.com and “The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan“ book for learning what foods are good and bad for inflammation.
I know I few sodas will cause my ON to kick it, and diet sugars are just as inflammatory as regular sugar.