Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (ION) Diagnosis and Treatment

Your ophthalmologist will do an eye exam to look for warning signs of ischemic optic neuropathy (ION). He or she will dilate (widen) your pupils with eye drops and then check for swelling of the optic nerve and blood vessels in the back of your eye.

Your ophthalmologist may also test your side (peripheral) vision and measure the fluid pressure within your eye.

Treatment

If your ION is caused by swelling of arteries in your head (temporal arteritis), your ophthalmologist may have you take steroid (prednisone) pills. This medicine may prevent ION from developing in your other eye.

Your doctor may want to treat any other health problems you have that put you at risk for ION. He or she may prescribe medicine for high blood pressure, diabetes, clogged arteries, migraine headaches, or other health problems.

There is no treatment to improve vision loss from ION. However, your ophthalmologist may suggest useful tools and techniques to help you see with low vision.