What is NAION Ophthalmology?

What is NAION Ophthalmology?

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) refers to loss of blood flow to the optic nerve (which is the cable that connects the eye to the brain). This condition typically causes sudden vision loss in one eye, without any pain.

What causes NAION eye?

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is a potentially debilitating condition that occurs from a lack of sufficient blood flow to the optic nerve. If you have sudden vision loss, contact your doctor immediately.

What is the difference between Aion and NAION?

This form of ischemic optic neuropathy is generally categorized as two types: arteritic AION (or AAION), in which the loss of vision is the result of an inflammatory disease of arteries in the head called temporal arteritis, and non-arteritic AION (abbreviated as NAION, or sometimes simply as AION), which is due to non …

Is there any treatment for NAION?

Currently, there is no treatment for it, but Miller and his colleagues are working to change that. Through his years of research, Miller has now isolated three drugs that in the laboratory either reduce damage to the optic nerve after an attack of NAION or heal the nerve once damage has occurred.

Can you drive with NAION?

Patients with severe vision loss in only one eye may be able to continue to drive. In most cases of a bilateral AION, the combination of visual acuity loss, visual field impairment and loss of contrast sensitivity prevents these patients from returning to driving.

Is NAION progressive?

After the initial visual loss, most patients remain stable. Vision improves during the first 6 mo after the event in approximately 41%-43% of patients with NAION, while in 15%-19% vision deteriorates[2]–[3]. This has been referred to as the progressive form of NAION.

Can you go blind from NAION?

If NAION occurs in the second eye, there is a high risk of patient becoming legally blind.

How common is NAION?

NAION constitutes 95% of all AION and is the most common cause of acute optic neuropathy in people over the age of 50, affecting somewhere between 2 to 10 individuals per 100,000 (approximately 1500 to 6000 new cases per year in the United States).

Is NAION hereditary?

The role of hereditary factors in familial NAION remains unknown and the only clinical difference between classical and familial NAION is that the familial type seems to have an earlier onset and a higher frequency of bilateral disease.

Can Cialis cause NAION?

Recently, two cases of NAION have been reported in individuals after they used Cialis. Tadalafil acts similarly to sildenafil, but is more specific for PDE5 and lasts up to 36 hours.

Is NAION a disability?

Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is one of the most widespread visually disabling diseases in the middle-aged and elderly population, although no age is immune.

What do you need to know about NAION?

At least one thing is known about nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION): It is a dev­astating ocular condition that causes permanent visual loss. Researchers have presumed—but not yet proved—its underlying pathophysiology.

Are there any ophthalmologists who treat NAION?

This review intends to summarize the current evidence-based knowledge in the field of NAION and provide practical clinical recommendations for comprehensive ophthalmologists and retina specialists. NAION typically presents as acute, unilateral and painless loss of central and/or peripheral vision.

What is non arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy ( NAION )?

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is due to impaired circulation of blood to the front of the optic nerve.

Are there any new diagnoses for NAION?

New diagnoses of NAION aris­ing in this group were identified based on ICD-9 billing codes. The researchers excluded conditions that can mimic NAION, such as giant cell arteritis and optic neuritis, as well as patients who had undergone lumbar spine surgery, which has been linked with ischemic optic neuropathy.