Optics

Calcium and the Optic Nerve

The optic nerve carries electrical impulses from your eye to your brain. Damage to the optic nerve can affect your ability to sight. Several types of calcium deposits can develop in the optic nerve. Calcium deposits may develop within protein...

Optic Neuropathy Symptoms

Optic neuropathy, or optic neuritis, is damage of the bundle of nerves in the eye that can be caused by inflammation, increased optical pressure, or insufficient blood supply. Symptoms may vary based upon the cause of the disease. A proper survey...

What Are the Causes of an Optical Migraine?

Optical migraines are migraines accompanied by visual distortions. Optical migraines are also called ocular or visual migraines, or migraines with auras. The headache phase of the migraine may or may not be present. If the headache is absent, the...

Optical Isomerism in Sugars

Sugars, which you can find in nature on their own and which are the building blocks of larger molecules such as starch and fiber, display optical isomerism. This is a chemical property whereby the sugar molecules are asymmetric and exist in two...

Causes of Optic Nerve Damage

Damage to the optic nerve, or optic atrophy, is a sign of a serious problem, but is not a disease. Optic nerve damage can potentially cause blindness and other vision problems. The most common cause of optic atrophy is poor blood flow, called...

Optical Cord Vision Problems

The optic nerve, which some may call the optical cord, sits at the back of the eye and consists of more than a million nerve fibers that transmit visual information to the brain. Damage to the optic nerve may result in changes in vision. Knowing...

Optic Nerve Damage Symptoms

The optic nerves begin at the back of the eye in an area called the optic disc. They transmit visual information from the eye to the brain, which is responsible for comprehending the visual input. Many types of disorders can damage the optic...

Amino Acids for Optic Nerves

Your optic nerves relay signals between your eyes and your brain. Specialized cells within your retinas, called rods and cones, detect light and color in the images you see, and send a neural signal relaying that visual information. Your optic...

4 Ways to Treat Optic Neuritis

A course of treatment with methylprednisolone or prednisone (or other effective corticosteroids) can reduce the likelihood of developing full-fledged multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms and lead to a decreased likelihood of future optic neuritis...

Optic Nerve Diabetic Symptoms

People with diabetes face an increased risk of developing diabetic eye disease, a group of diseases leading to vision loss or blindness. The most common type of diabetic eye disease is diabetic retinopathy, which involves changes to the blood...

Optic Nerve Neuropathy Symptoms

The optic nerve serves as a link for communication between the eye and the brain. Vision occurs when light enters the eye and is sent to the retina for processing. The retina then sends impulses through the optic nerve to the parts of the brain...

Can Tribulus Affect the Optic Nerves?

People who use herbal supplements such as Tribulus terrestris may not know the effects these products may have on their body. As a result, when a problem occurs, such as with your optic nerve, you may not know if Tribulus terrestris played a role...

What Are the Causes of Optic Nerve Damage?

The optic nerve is important because it has the job of sending visual information from the eyes to the brain. And yet, there are several disorders that can cause damage to this nerve for various reasons. Some hereditary diseases can damage the...

Fish Oil & Optic Neuritis

The optic nerve sits at the back of your eye, collecting visual information to send to the brain. Optic neuritis occurs when you have inflammation of the nerve fibers that make up your optic nerve. Doctors may prescribe steroid medications or...

What Vitamins Protect the Optic Nerve?

Your optic nerve is a group of nerve fibers that comes together at the back of your eye. The retina is the lining against the inner part of the back of your eye, and this light-sensitive tissue transmits information to your optic nerve. The nerve...

6 Ways to Manage Optic Neuritis

Optic neuritis often results from lesions or inflammation of the optic nerve and/or the myelin sheath surrounding that nerve. There is a plethora of potential causes for optic neuritis, including viral infections, multiple sclerosis, diabetes,...

5 Ways to Identify Optic Neuritis

To determine whether or not your symptoms--loss of vision, loss of color vision and pain in the eye(s) made worse by heat and working out--may be related to an optic nerve defect, your doctor can perform an MRI. This diagnostic test can examine...

Compressive Optic Neuropathy Symptoms

Compressive optic neuropathy occurs when lesions appear somewhere along the optic nerve. These lesions usually follow some form of head or eye trauma and contribute to the gradual loss of vision. The symptoms will vary, depending on the health of...

What Are the Treatments for Ischemic Optic Neuropathy?

Ischemic optic neuropathy is a condition that can lead to the optic nerve not receiving enough oxygen, which could result in vision loss. This can result from hypertension or diabetes mellitus or from the inflammation of an artery in the face. It...

4 Ways to Manage Optic Glioma

One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with an optic glioma is managing the sense of not knowing. Many optic gliomas occur in children under the age of 20. They need reassurance, as well as an explanation for what's going on and what will...

4 Ways to Prevent Optic Neuritis

Optic neuritis typically presents in patients ranging in age from late adolescence (18 to 20) to early middle age (40 to 45), with 30 being the average age of onset. Women are far more likely than men to develop the condition, and white women in...

4 Ways to Identify Optic Nerve Atrophy

There are a number of different types of optic nerve atrophy, so presentation can vary from case to case. In general, patients experience abnormal color vision and a decrease in visual acuity. Optic nerve atrophy can occur precipitously or...

3 Ways to Prevent Optic Glioma

Your genetic disposition to developing optical glioma may be your single-most-important risk factor. White people develop optical gliomas more frequently than black people do. If brain tumors run in your family, then you're at greater risk of...

Treating Optic Nerve Damage With Vitamins

The optic nerve carries electrical impulses from the retina at the back of the eye to your brain for processing. Any disorder that damages the optic nerve can cause permanent vision loss. Certain vitamins may help treat optic nerve disorders....

5 Ways to Identify Optic Glioma

Your ophthalmologist or examining doctor may test your hearing, reflexes, visual acuity and other skills to determine whether or not you may have a brain tumor. Visual acuity tests can help determine the size and depth of the tumor by indirect...

3 Ways to Treat Optic Glioma

You may or may not be a viable candidate for operative surgery. Only you and your physician can make that determination, based on the size, type and placement of the optic glioma as well as your age, medical history, physical condition and...

3 Ways to Treat Optic Nerve Atrophy

Once the optic nerve has been destroyed, abraded or otherwise damaged, you cannot restore it via any therapy that's currently available. Your focus instead should be on treating the underlying cause of atrophy and preventing further damage both...

Causes of Optical Migraine Headaches

Optical, or ocular, migraines can affect your vision by causing blind spots, flashing spots, stars or other distortions. Also called migraines with aura, they can occur right before a painful headache or happen alone. Optical migraines can impact...

The Best Vitamins for Optic Nerve Health

Your optic nerve connects the back of your eye to your brain, allowing electrical impulses to travel back and forth. The health of your optic nerve depends on many factors, including your lifestyle and genetics, but there are a variety of vitamins...

Glaucoma Health Video (Video)

Glaucoma is an eye disease that can lead to blindness. Get professional tips and advice on diagnosing, preventing, and treating glaucoma in this video.