Treating optic neuritis

In some people with optic neuritis, the vision improves without treatment. However, many people do require treatment to speed up the recovery of their vision or, more importantly, to prevent it from worsening.  

The most commonly used treatment is high-dose corticosteroids. This treatment helps to improve most patients’ vision, and in some cases it can restore their vision to how it was before having optic neuritis. Even with treatment, vision can remain affected forever in some cases.  

When a person has symptoms of optic neuritis, it is very important to consult an ophthalmologist, as early treatment can prevent the symptoms from worsening and preserve vision in the eye.  

Sometimes other treatments, such as intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange, are necessary.