Symptoms | Causes of optic nerve inflammation

Symptoms

The typical symptoms of “Neuritis Nervi Optici” are visual disturbances and/or visual impairment, visual field failures as well as reduced contrast and color perception and of course eye pain. The first thing that those affected notice is the loss of visual acuity, i.e. increasing poor and blurred vision. This is often accompanied by headaches or a slight feeling of pressure in the eyes.

It can also be observed that in situations with increased physical strain and thus increased body temperature, such as during sports, in the sauna or in the bathtub, the symptoms become noticeable. In extreme cases, the inflammation can lead to complete blindness. In 7% of cases, the inflammation of the optic nerve occurs on both sides.

Nevertheless, under certain circumstances, the ophthalmologic examination can unfortunately be inconspicuous. Only in 35% of cases is a swollen papilla visible.