What's going on?

This is inflammation of the optic nerve. We do not always understand why this should happen and often we attribute it to a viral infection. The nerve becomes inflamed and your vision goes down. Typically it is your central vision which is affected. The vision gets worse over a period of about 2 weeks and then progressively improves. The vision tends to recover but often it is not quite as sharp or bright as it was before you had this.

What will my ophthalmologist see?

The optic nerve at the back of the eye will be swollen in one-third of cases. Your pupil reactions would also be abnormal.

What will my ophthalmologist do for me?

We will confirm the diagnosis and do various tests to make sure the nerve is not inflamed for another reason. We may organize for a scan of your brain to assess the health of the nerve and the brain connections.

What can I do?

Don't panic as the vision should come back gradually in the great majority of cases.

What do I need to know?

If it happens as a one off then it is just bad luck to get it. If it happens more than once or you have any other funny neurological symptoms there may be something else going on. If this is the case you will need to have further tests.