eye disorders
Toxic and Nutritional Optic Neuropathies
Treatment
Treat the cause of the optic neuropathy Low-vision aids The cause of the patient's optic neuropathy is treated. Exposure to toxic substances should stop immediately. Alcohol and other potentially causative chemicals or drugs should be avoided. Chelation therapy is indicated in lead poisoning. Dialysis,fomepizole,ethanol, or a combination is used for methanol poisoning. Treatment with oral or parenteral B vitamins and/or folate before vision loss becomes severe may reverse the condition when undernutrition is the presumed cause. Low-vision aids (eg, magnifiers, large-print devices, talking watches) may be helpful. The role of antioxidants has not been fully characterized. Their use could be justified on a theoretic basis; however, there is no proof of efficacy, and the at-risk population that should receive such supplements has not been defined. 