Causes Of Optic Neuritis

Optic neuritis refers to a condition that causes the optic nerve of the eye to swell. This nerve is crucial for vision, carrying light signals from the rear of the eye through to the brain. If this nerve swells or becomes damaged, vision will be negatively impacted, causing blurriness. Although physicians are not exactly sure what the precise cause of optic neuritis is, several conditions are known to lead to it. Typically, these are conditions that cause the immune system to mistakenly attack the tissue in the optic nerve, erroneously perceiving it as infected by a foreign invader. Such conditions are discussed in the following article.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease that attacks the body's central nervous system. It disrupts the neural connections and flow of information between the brain and other parts of the body in an unpredictable and often aggressive way, inhibiting a person's ability to control those areas. The precise causes of multiple sclerosis are unknown, though researchers and physicians believe it develops after an individual who is already genetically predisposed encounters an environmental factor. Multiple sclerosis is known to cause inflammation and damage in the brain and spinal cord, including to the optic nerve. In fact, optic neuritis is often one of the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis in patients.

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Schilder's Disease

Schilder's disease is thought to be a variant of multiple sclerosis, as it resembles the disease in both symptoms and pathology. Schilder's disease affects the brain and causes impairments with movement, speech, memory, and vision. It is a sporadic but progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the central nervous system. The disease usually begins during childhood but can present in early adulthood as well. It is a demyelinating disease, which means the protective myelin sheath surrounding and protecting neurons becomes progressively damaged. Eventually, it is destroyed altogether. This damage significantly impairs the nerves' ability to conduct signals, such as those necessary for vision.

Continue reading to discover another condition that can result in optic neuritis now.