Trouble With Your Vision? See An Eye Doctor To Have Your Optic Nerve Examined
by Douglas Sutton
Experiencing some problems with your eyes lately and worried that you could lose your vision? Have you never been prescribed glasses but are suddenly having blurred vision, difficulty seeing things in front of you, and pain that seems to get worse when you move your eyes from one side to the next? You have every reason to feel concerned about these different symptoms because there is a chance that you might have optic nerve damage. Because you do not want to lose your vision for good, you need to make an appointment with an eye doctor.
How Does Optic Nerve Damage Happen?
Your optic nerve is found directly behind your eyeballs. If something happens to these nerves and they are damaged, the damage could lead to some of the symptoms you have been experiencing, such as blurred vision, eye pain, and even temporary loss of vision. It is not always possible to pinpoint the exact cause of the optic nerve damage because different factors can contribute to the damage over time. For example, eye trauma can lead to a damaged optic nerve that eventually causes a person to lose some or all of his or her vision. If something hit you in the eye or if you were in a car accident and your face smashed against the airbag, the impact of the object or the airbag could have caused damage without you even realizing it at the time.
While trauma to the eye is one of the reasons people can end up with the damage, it is not the only cause. Being exposed to certain substances can contribute to the deterioration of the optic nerve over time. It is one of several reasons why individuals are supposed to wear protective eye gear when working around substances that are considered toxic and harmful to the eyes.
How Will the Eye Doctor Discover Any Damage?
When you go to your appointment with the eye doctor, you need to go over all the symptoms you are experiencing. If you are worried about forgetting to tell the doctor everything, you should compose a list of all the different symptoms ahead of time. After talking to your doctor about what you are experiencing, the eye doctor is likely going to want to run specific tests to check for any potential damage.
The first test is the traditional eye exam. However, the eye doctor will need to run additional tests to know for sure what is going on. These tests would likely include ophthalmoscopy and an MRI that would provide in-depth images of the eyes and the optic nerve. After you undergo these tests, your doctor would need to carefully review the results before providing a diagnosis. If you find out that you do have optic nerve damage, the physician can go over your treatment options.
Is There a Way to Treat the Condition?
Treatment options can vary based on the eye doctor's findings after performing tests. Unfortunately, some optic nerve damage is not treatable. For those that cannot receive treatment to improve the condition, steroids are occasionally administered to keep the problem from getting worse. Depending on the cause of your optic nerve problems, the eye doctor might be able to prescribe eye drops that you can use regularly to treat the condition that you are diagnosed with.
If you are suddenly having trouble with your vision out of nowhere, you need to get to an eye doctor as soon as you can because you might have damage to your optic nerve. You would need to talk about your symptoms and undergo some tests before receiving a diagnosis and finding out what steps you should take to protect your eyes and possibly prevent further deterioration.
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About Me
Since I was a teenager, I've worn eyeglasses. The idea of getting contacts didn't seem all that important. It was only during my last eye exam with a new optometrist that I decided to revisit the possibility. On the advice of my optometrist, I decided to try the disposable lenses. To my surprise, they worked great. Even my field of vision was broader. One of my favorite things is that I never have to hunt for a handkerchief or a tissue to wipe away dust from the glasses anymore. Being able to purchase sunglasses off the rack is pretty great too. If you just got the word that corrective lenses is in your future, let's talk. I'll tell you why choosing contact lenses over glasses makes sense.