Insights on instantaneous vision loss from experienced individuals
Vision is veritably vital. Just ask anyone who has every
lost his or her eyesight, even for a short while. Optic neuritis is one cause
of such an unnerving event. Having faced this ordeal personally, I decided to
interview several others and compare our experiences.
Let’s look at specific individuals, who have battled sudden
blindness firsthand.
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What is optic
neuritis?
Basically, optic neuritis represents an inflammation of
the optic nerve, which runs from behind the retina of the eye to the brain.
This results in a rather sudden
loss of vision in that eye. The inflamed optic nerve may swell or even
suffer demyelination, or physical damage, in an optic neuritis episode.
What causes optic
neuritis?
Experts differ on pinpointing the exact cause of optic
neuritis. In many cases, optic neuritis may result from an infection (such as
herpes, toxoplasmosis or sinusitis). It may stem from a neurological disorder,
a nutritional deficiency or even toxic levels of alcohol, tobacco or harmful
chemicals.
Most often, however, optic neuritis seems to be caused by
autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis (M.S.). In fact, optic
neuritis has been the most common initial indicator of multiple sclerosis (M.S.)
in currently diagnosed multiple sclerosis (M.S.) patients.
What are the symptoms
of optic neuritis?
Optic neuritis may affect one eye,
or it may attack both eyes at the same time. The condition may be experienced
as a sudden loss of vision, a deficiency in color vision (known as
dyschromatopsia), an inability to discern visual contrasts (light and dark) and
eye pain. The symptoms and level of distress may vary with each individual and
each episode of optic neuritis.
In some individuals, the vision loss from optic neuritis can
be quite instantaneous
and acute, as it was for Brian G.,
of South Africa. “I completely crossed a major highway and caused an
accident, after suffering from severe pain behind my left eye for days. My
vision just dropped in seconds,” he said.
“I could only see things in one dimension,” said Jen C., of Boston, Massachusetts.
“Everything was flat.”
“It felt to me like I was wearing glasses with big
fingerprints on them,” explained Carey
S., of New Zealand. “My optic neuritis changed from black spots to wide
smudges to double vision with lots of black spots in my peripheral vision. I
felt almost like a cartoon character, seeing stars.”
Shannon V., of
Pennsylvania, had a similar experience. “I didn’t have any sort of pain or
tingling,” she recalled. “But I had a line through my vision, kind of like an
optical migraine. I also had a spot that was completely black in the right
corner.”
“I woke up one morning and opened my eyes to see a distinct
line horizontally across my left eye,” recounted Mary Lou C., of New York. “It was similar to looking through
bifocals, except the top half was normal, and the bottom half was like looking
through a coffee-color stained glass.”
“I didn’t know what it was for a few weeks,” added Rebecca N., of Australia. “I just
assumed it was part of a migraine. MY left eye had a dark ‘C’ shape in it. I
would see, but the ‘C’ was in my vision. Also, it hurt around my temple and
eyebrow when I looked around.”
An individual experiencing optic neuritis for the first time
may imagine a foreign particle may be in one eye. Scott S., of Albany, New York, related this symptom this way: “I
thought I had something in my eye. I kept rubbing it. One day later, I woke to
find I would not see anything in that eye.”
Jodi C., of Fargo,
North Dakota, agreed. “It felt like I had smudged glasses on, and the
smudge didn’t go away, no matter how much I rubbed my eye. Also, I had pain
behind my eye, and bright lights made it unbearable.”
Optic neuritis can be quite uncomfortable, as Krista L., of Boston, Massachusetts,
pointed out. “I had a significant amount of pain over my left eye,” she said.
“It felt like a migraine, but I don’t get migraines.”
Amanda, of New
Zealand, said, “I had a strange aching pain in my eye. Eleven hours later,
I wouldn’t see anything out of that eye.”
In addition, many celebrities have reportedly
suffered from optic neuritis, and even the often accompanying multiple
sclerosis (M.S.). These include author Fox-TV anchorman Neil Cavuto, author Joan
Didion, country singer Donna Fargo, Disney Mouseketeer and movie star Annette
Funicello, actress Teri Garr, singer Lena Horne, country star Hal Ketchum, singer
Alan Osmond, R&B star Tamia, talk show host Montel Williams, and many more.
How is optic neuritis
diagnosed?
Optic neuritis is usually recognized by magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) of the brain. In addition, visual acuity testing, color vision
testing, evoked potential screening and visual field testing may be performed.
Most often, the inflammation of the optic nerve may be seen (after pupil
dilation) with an ophthalmoscope in an eye doctor’s office. The eye pressure
may also be measured.
Optic
neuritis is too often missed, when physicians seek simpler explanations for
sudden vision loss, particularly when the condition lasts only for a short
time. Many medical professionals blame migraine headaches or sinus infections
for eye pain and vision deficiencies, overlooking optic neuritis.
“Doctors claimed my experience was the result of a sinus
infection, although it later turned out to be optic neuritis,” reported Shannon V., of Pennsylvania.
Linda N., of
Wisconsin, recounted similar findings. “I’d been treated for an
unbelievable number of sinus infections, over the years, mostly for
behind-the-eye pain. This finally pointed to optic neuritis.”
How long does optic
neuritis last?
For most optic neuritis sufferers, vision will return (in
whole or in part) within a three to six weeks. Some individuals may experience
decreased vision, and many will discover they have lost some ability to discern
colors (particularly reds) and to perceive light-and-dark contrasts.
Many optic neuritis patients, particularly those with
multiple sclerosis (M.S.), may find their vision symptoms returning temporarily
with increased body temperature, athletic exertion or stress. This condition
has been called Uhthoff’s Syndrome, commonly recognized among neurologists and
multiple sclerosis (M.S.) patients.
How can optic
neuritis be treated?
Optic neuritis is generally a temporary condition, although many
medical professionals do recommend corticosteroid treatment to hasten recovery
and prevent additional episodes. Usually, corticosteroids are administered
first intravenously (for up to three days), followed by 10 to 15 days of oral
steroidal medications.
Can corrective lenses
help with optic neuritis?
Eyeglasses and contact lenses do nothing to affect the
symptoms of optic neuritis. In fact, most neurologists recommend patients delay
regular optical examinations during an episode of optic neuritis, as the visual
findings may be distorted during that time.
What long-lasting
effects may optic neuritis cause?
Although statistics vary, at least a third of those
suffering from optic neuritis seem to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
(M.S.) within a few years of this experience. For many, optic neuritis
represents the first red flag for a neurological condition, such as multiple sclerosis
(M.S.).
Optic neuritis may reoccur as well, affecting the same eye,
the other eye or both eyes at once.
For other optic neuritis sufferers, the episodes may be
temporary roadblocks, with full or nearly full vision returning fairly soon.
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