Atrophy of the optic nerve – a fairly common problem, the causes of which range from heredity to general diseases. Because the optic nerve – the link between the eye that perceives light impulses and the brain that processes them and turns them into the final image, the absence of the normal function of such an impulse transmission channel leads to visual impairment and even complete blindness. If optic nerve atrophy is diagnosed in the early stages, there is a chance to save vision, but if the nerve is completely atrophied, unfortunately nothing can be done today.
Atrophy of the optic nerve – reasons for violation
What causes optic nerve atrophy, causing the fibers that make up the nerve to break down and be replaced by connective tissue? Reasons may vary, including:
- heredity;
- congenital pathology;
- inflammation in the optic nerve or retina;
- injuries;
- edema;
- exposure to toxins (including alcohol);
- impaired circulation;
- nerve compression;
- inflammation of the brain;
- TBI;
- brain tumors;
- multiple sclerosis;
- brain abscesses;
- infections;
- hypertension;
- atherosclerosis;
- obstruction of retinal arteries, etc.
What are the symptoms of optic nerve atrophy?
The symptoms of optic nerve atrophy are caused by the death of the fibers that make up the optic nerve, and some fragments may simply fall out of sight.
The main symptom of this disorder – deterioration of vision that cannot be corrected (with glasses, lenses), In addition, the following problems may indicate atrophy of the optic nerve:
- constriction of the field of view;
- tunnel vision (a person sees only what is located directly in front of him);
- scotomas (including color ones), when areas of various shapes fall out of the field of view.
Atrophy of the optic nerve is:
- primary and secondary;
- complete and progressing;
- partial and complete;
- Single-sided and double-sided.
In the case of progressive atrophy, visual dysfunction can proceed quite rapidly (several days) or gradually (several months). If vision has fallen to a certain level and does not deteriorate, such atrophy is called partial.
In any case, any visual impairment – a serious reason to see an ophthalmologist.
Treatment of optic nerve atrophy: timeliness is paramount
The symptoms that can occur with optic nerve atrophy can be easily confused with other eye diseases. In this case, self-diagnosis, as well as self-treatment, is excluded. It is impossible to recover from atrophy of the optic nerve with folk remedies, but to wait for the onset of complete blindness – quite possible. In addition, atrophy of the optic nerve is often the result of serious diseases, curing which, it will be possible to stop the progression of atrophy and preserve vision.
Do not forget that advanced cases of optic atrophy are practically untreatable, therefore, timely access to an ophthalmologist with disturbing symptoms allows diagnosing pathology in the initial stages and rehabilitating partially damaged tissues. Otherwise, vision lost due to atrophy is not restored.
In optic nerve atrophy, it is important to recover from the disease that caused the atrophy. In general, treatment is aimed at:
- removal of edema;
- suppression of nerve fiber inflammation;
- improvement of blood circulation in the area of the nerve;
- improvement of nerve trophism;
- Restoring the conductivity of fibers that are not completely destroyed.
Thus, the treatment process for optic nerve atrophy may include:
- Medications taken.
- Physiotherapy.
- Magnetic stimulation.
- Laser stimulation.
- Electrical stimulation.
- Surgery.
Treatment is carried out in accordance with the results of examinations and necessary tests. Estet-portal.com reminds: the sooner you turn to a professional, the more likely you are to save your eyesight.
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