Blindness is something we'd all like to avoid, of course. Unfortunately, when you begin to suffer vision loss due to optic nerve atrophy, the sad truth is that you cannot avoid blindness. Rather, you can try to slow down the process so that your vision loss is gradual rather than rapid. For this reason, identifying symptoms of this vision problem is crucial if you are to save your vision. Don't hesitate to arrange for an eye exam if you experience the following signs or symptoms of this disorder.
Instructions
1. Learn if this is a hereditary condition in your family. Two types of optic nerve atrophy are hereditary in nature: Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy and Retinitis Pigmentosa. Leber's disorder affects young men who are typically in their late teens or early twenties, and it progresses swiftly, beginning with a vision problem in one eye and typically affecting the second eye only a few weeks later. Retinitis Pigmentosa begins with night blindness, but later develops into tunnel vision. Fortunately, decades may pass before this disorder causes total vision loss.
2. Notice whether you are experiencing abnormal vision in one eye compared to the other. While a vision problem in one eye may simply be a symptom of a migraine, be sure to make an appointment for an eye exam if this problem persists. You may be experiencing early signs of atrophy in the optic nerve center of your eye, which will result in gradual vision loss. Symptoms may include abnormal side vision, poor color vision and dimmed vision. Although this usually only occurs in one eye, bilateral optic atrophy has also been known to occur (when the illness affects both eyes).
3. Test how well your pupil constricts in light. Since optic nerve atrophy causes degeneration of vital nerve fibers in your eye, you will find that your pupil will no longer respond as it normally would to visual stimuli. This will begin as a slight vision problem, but will certainly result in total vision loss if the problem is not addressed.
4. Respond to an inflammation, vision problem or eye pain by getting an eye exam. While you don't want to assume that any disruption of your visual ability is a sign of optic nerve atrophy, you also don't want to ignore obvious symptoms. Since vision loss can occur so quickly with this impairment, it is definitely imperative that you err on the side of caution if your symptoms are of a severe nature as described here.
5. Consider your diet. Poor nutrition can be a key cause for optic nerve atrophy. Your nutritional fitness will probably be one of the first things that your ophthalmologist will question you about during an eye exam. Drug-addiction and even smoking can cause toxicity in your body which will lead to a vision problem. Without cleaning up your system and using vitamins to strengthen your deficiencies, vision loss can be expected..
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