It’s a rare disease that typically happens when the body’s immune system reacts against its own cells in the nervous system. A CNS Test is recommended by the doctor to test for Neuromyelitis Optica and look for complications related.
What causes NMO?
Currently, the cause of this disorder is unexplained. However, doctors believe that NMO results from the dysfunctionality of immune tolerance.
Symptoms of NMO?
The signs and symptoms of NMO vary from person to person in number of ways. Commonly, NMO is characterized by inflammation of the spinal cord or optic nerves of the eyes. Other symptoms include-
• Severe pain in the eyes or loss of vision (optic neuritis).
• Weakness, numbness or partial paralysis in limbs (transverse myelitis).
• Excruciating pain or tingling in the neck, back or in the abdomen.
• Loss of bowel and bladder control.
• Prolonged nausea, vomiting or hiccups.
• Children suffering from this disorder may develop confusion, seizures or coma as a manifestation of NMO.
Diagnosis
Several methods and tests that are used to diagnose Neuromyelitis Optica. Some of them are:
• Simple blood tests that detect the Neuromyelitis Optica IgG antibody.
• Central Nervous System or CNS Test.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to check any type of disorder in spinal cord or injuries.
• Ophthalmology studies such as optical coherence tomography (OTC) is done to check for any type of damage to the optic nerve or retina of the eyes.
• Neurologic examination, where the neurologist examines the person’s mobility, muscle strength, coordination, sensation, functions of the memory, thinking, speech, and vision.
• Evoked potentials or Eps test is suggested in order to find out any type of injuries or presence of damaged areas in the nerves, spinal cord, optic nerve or brain.
Treatments
Neuromyelitis Optica relapses or NMO attacks can be treated with –
• Corticosteroids- steroid treatment.
• Plasmapheresis- the elimination of antibodies from the blood stream. Usually, Plasmapheresis is used if steroid treatment is ineffective. Some doctors suggested a Plasmapheresis on a limited scale if the patient shows poor tolerance for medications which are used to prevent relapses.
To conclude, if you are suffering from symptoms of Neuromyelitis Optica, it is recommended to get a blood test or CNS test done to detect the exact problem and diagnose a proper course of treatment.