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Pediatric optic neuritis (ON) happens when nerves behind the eye become inflamed, leading to pain and problems with vision. This can be caused by disease or infection. At Children’s Health℠, a team of experts works together to treat optic neuritis and its underlying causes, so your child can grow up strong and happy.
The optic nerve is made up of a collection of neurons that carries visual information from each eye to the brain. When these nerves become inflamed, it’s called optic neuritis.
Optic neuritis affects between 1 and 5 people out of 100,000. It can affect children and adults of all ages. Most children respond well to treatment and don’t have long-term problems with vision or eye pain.
Children with optic neuritis (ON) typically experience eye pain. The pain is often worse when they move their eyes. If the condition isn’t treated, a child may suffer partial or complete loss of vision. Symptoms can occur in one or both eyes.
We diagnose optic neuritis with tests that look at different aspects of your child’s eye and brain function. This includes testing your child’s vision and getting different images of the eye.
Optic neuritis (ON) happens as a result of another health condition, such as a disease or infection.
Common causes include autoimmune diseases like:
With this type of disease, the immune system doesn’t work properly and attacks healthy cells. When this happens to cells on the optic nerve, it causes inflammation that causes the symptoms of optic neuritis.
From there, we treat the condition that’s causing your child’s optic neuritis. If it’s an infection, we may prescribe antibiotics. If it’s an autoimmune disease like multiple sclerosis, your child may require medicine that prevent future damage from their immune system.
Our team brings together different specialists to understand your child’s condition and find the best treatment.