There are studies being done with other medications which may help as well. The optic nerve is subject to losing its blood supply, as is any part of the brain. Symptoms of this disorder, which usually occurs in the elderly, is a sudden, painless blurring or loss of vision in one eye. After the initial event, there may be some recovery of vision over a period of weeks. The visual loss can range from mild blurring of vision, to severe loss of vision.
Some people experience an entire loss of the upper or lower field of vision in one eye.
There is an association of this disorder with vascular disease, and it is important to exclude one possible cause of ION, called Temporal Arteritis . Diagnosis and treatment of temporal arteritis may prevent loss of vision in the other eye. Otherwise, there is no effective treatment for ION, except treating any underlying medical problems. For more information about ischemic optic neuropathy and temporal arteritis, visit the University of Iowa Ophthalmology website. A number of medications have been associated with the development of an optic neuropathy, leading to reduced visual acuity, blind spots in the peripheral vision, or reduced color vision.