Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ON - Vision or Just Pain?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    ON - Vision or Just Pain?

    Does Optic Neuritis always have some loss of vision or can it be just pain?

    #2
    Mild cases of optic neuritis can involve just pain. But there are some important details involved:

    1) Without vision loss, an ophthalmologist or optometrist (not a neurologist) must do an eye exam to rule out all other possible causes for the pain.

    2) Even with vision loss, an eye doctor must do an eye exam to determine the actual cause so that the right kind of intervention for the problem can be started.

    3) Treatment for optic neuritis is intended to shorten the duration of the episode of vision loss. Without vision loss, there's no loss to shorten, and competent and knowledgeable ophthalmologists will not prescribe steroid treatment.

    In MS, steroids have no effect on the final outcome of vision, so mild cases of optic neuritis sometimes aren't treated because steroids don't make any difference. Even in a confirmed case of optic neuritis, steroids aren't used to treat just pain without vision loss. Pain medications are used if appropriate.

    On the other hand, some neurologists throw steroids at everything without even knowing what it is. Medical doctors have been known to inappropriately prescribe steroids for eye pain without knowing what's causing it.

    Are you having eye pain? If you are, it's best to be examined by an ophthalmologist ASAP.

    Comment

    Working...
    X