When I was a child I had crossed eyes and because of this, I've only used my right eye to read, see, drive (except for some peripheral vision on the left side.)

In 1993 I got Optic Neuritis in my left eye (my bad eye.)  I was concerned when I found that ON is linked to MS.  I did some internet research but tried not to worry about it because if I lost vision in that eye I could still function.   In 2002, I thought ON might have occured in my left eye again because vision was blurred but I wasn't sure.....that eye has a lot of astigmatism and there are other causes of blurry vision besides ON.

Well my world fell apart when about a week after my Ophthalmologist found an eye infection in both eyes that I now had ON in my right eye (my good eye!)  This scared me to death and it was much worse for me.  I think that the ON actually developed some where between home and going into the exam room.  I didn't drive but did watch tv the night before and I could see but it was clouded with I thought was pus.  It really felt like there was something in it.

Anyway, they gave me Solu-Medrol IV for 3 days 1 gram each day and now I'm on a Prednisone taper.  I have two questions.  Do you think my vision will continue to improve even after I'm done with the Prednisone?  I know Dr. say it doesn't matter when treatment starts as long as it's within about a month but I started the end of the same week.  I would think reducing swelling earlier would help.

Also, could the ON be caused by the eye infections or the antibiotics drops used to treat them?  In 1993 around the same time I had ON in left eye, I also had a bacterial infection.  This year I had an eye infection (I think pink eye) in both eyes.

What do you think?   Who should I discuss it with?

Jen

p.s. Also, in the past I've had severe sinus infections that went on for months and once a whole year.  I just wonder if any of this could be related to ON and who I can ask.

I had Optic Neuritis. I suffer from chronic sinusitis and at the time of the ON I had severe sinus problems pain and pressure around eye and needed surgery. MRI was clear.Two ENT have told me my sinus problem would not cause the ON. Im not convinced. I believe the infection spread to me optic nerve. The optomologist told me he felt it could be secondary to sinusitis and an a dr has told me that sinutis can kill so its possible. ENTs do not seem to think it sinuits can cause ON though.

I have had a severe sinus infection since October.  They were treating for staph aureus, but it continued to get much worse, because, now, they found it was MRSA causing all the problems.  I had such severe ear throbbing and sharp pain behind right eye, nerve irritation, according to my neurologist, that was being caused by the infection.  Now that they started me on IV Vancomycin, my pain immediately subsided, and I don't feel deathly ill anymore.  Sinus infections are so dangerous, and once they spread to neurological, a lot of ENT's do not  acknowledge that your symptoms have anything to do with your sinus infection, especially if the sinus infection appears to be cleared up in your sinuses,due to the fact that you are taking antibiotics. I am so happy that I went to a good neurologist.  My ent told me to see a psychiatrist.  Instead went to a neurologist .