Recognize papilledema, a swelling of the eye nerves to watch out for

Not only can your hands or feet get swollen, the nerves around your eyeball can get swollen too. This condition is called papilledema. However, why do people experience swelling in the nerves of the eye? Are there any symptoms that indicate it? Will swollen eye nerves cause blindness? Well, see the reviews below about papilledema.

What is papilledema?

Papilledema is a medical condition when the optic nerve is swollen in the area optical disc. Optic disc is the area where the optic nerve enters the back of the eyeball.

The optic nerve through the area optical disc it consists of a collection of nerve fibers that carry visual information, which connects the brain to the retina of the eye.

When this eye disease occurs, the area optical disc which contains the optic nerves is swollen. That is why, papilledema is classified as a serious medical condition and requires medical attention.

What causes papilledema?

This swelling occurs due to increased pressure around the brain. When the pressure around the brain increases, the area optical disc will be compressed so that this section swells. This pressure can occur due to increased cerebrospinal fluid or abbreviated CSF.

This cerebrospinal fluid basically surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Its function is to protect the brain and spinal cord from damage.

However, an increase in CSF can fill the part optical disc, so that the optic nerves in this section are increasingly compressed and swell.

Pressure can also arise due to brain swelling caused by:

Injury to the head
Not having enough red blood cells or hemoglobin
Hydrocephalus
Bleeding inside the brain
Inflammation within the brain (encephalitis)
Meningitis
High blood pressure
The presence of pus due to infection in the brain (abscess)
Brain tumor
Sometimes, high brain pressure can occur for no apparent reason. This condition is known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Generally, this is more common in people who are obese.

What are the symptoms of papilledema?

The early symptoms of papilledema include:

The sight starts to blur
Double vision
Eyes like seeing a flash of light
The vision suddenly disappears within a few seconds

If the brain pressure continues, the above symptoms can become more pronounced and last longer. In some cases, the signs even get worse and don't go away.

Other symptoms that can also occur are:

Nausea and vomiting
Headache
As if hearing another voice in the ear

How is this condition diagnosed?

Your doctor will likely take your medical history and perform a physical exam. In addition, the doctor may ask you to do additional tests, such as:

Ophthalmoscopy (funduscopy), which is an examination to see the condition behind the eyeball using an instrument called an ophthalmoscope.
MRI, which is an examination that can provide a more detailed picture, and is more likely to show what is causing the high pressure around the brain. MRI is also subsequently used to see the progress of papilledema treatment over time.
Lumbar puncture, which is a CSF fluid withdrawal procedure to measure the amount of CSF around the brain and spinal cord.

How to treat papilledema?

Handling will vary depending on the cause. Here are some ways to treat papilledema.

1. Lumbar puncture

Basically, to reduce the pressure due to fluid buildup, doctors usually perform a lumbar puncture. A lumbar puncture is a medical procedure that involves inserting a needle into the spinal column to withdraw or suck up the cerebrospinal fluid that has accumulated. That way, the pressure is reduced, the swelling is also reduced.

Doctors also usually prescribe acetazolamide (Diamox) to keep your nervous system pressure at a normal level.

2. Medicines

Other drugs that will be prescribed in this case to relieve the swelling are corticosteroids, such as prednisone (Deltasone), dexamethasone (Ozurdex), and hydrocortisone (Cortef). These drugs can be obtained by injection or by mouth.

If high blood pressure is the cause of the papilledema, your doctor will give you medication to keep your blood pressure in check. Treatment that is usually given such as:

Diuretics: bumetanide (Bumex) and chlorothiazide (Diuril)
Beta blockers: atenolol (Tenormin and esmilol (Brevibloc)
ACE inhibitors: captropil and moexipril

3. Antibiotics

If papyledema occurs due to infection, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. Treatment for infections varies depending on what type of bacteria is causing the infection. If there is an abscess, the doctor will do a combination of treatment, namely with antibiotics and making drainage to drain fluid from the brain.

4. Operation

If a brain tumor is causing papilledema, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the dangerous part of the tumor. Surgery is generally recommended for patients who are unable to receive drugs well.

Surgery is also recommended if you have acute papilledema and have experienced vision loss. Quoted from an article published by the US National Library of Medicine, this is done to prevent vision loss that cannot be cured.

5. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy

Chemotherapy or radiation therapy is also given to make the tumor smaller and reduce the swelling that occurs.

If the papilledema is due to a severe head injury, the doctor will try to reduce pressure and swelling by draining the CSF from the head and removing a small piece of the skull to relieve pressure.