the spirillum (milder type). The spiral type bacteria probably affected my eye the same way that the more famous syphilus spiral bacteria can affect the nerves. My neurologist insisted that I get another brain MRI---it was not different from the one I had had ten years before for my migraine headaches. I took my antibiotics and added on some Vit B 12 because my level was borderline low. My optic neuritis resolved in a couple of months.
The first symptom I noticed was that my own art had different colors depending upon which eye looked at it. In optic neuritis dark reds get washed out. In addition, central vision is weakened---meaning that it becomes hard to read with the affected eye. And lights appear dimmer with the affected eye. All simple tests you can do at home if you wonder if you have it.
Even people who have idiopathic optic neuritis only have a chance of developing MS. It is not a 100% correlation. And things besides MS---like some infections, low Vit B 12, diabetes---can cause it. So be sure to get a check up. And do not confuse migraine occular events with optic neuritis----flashing lights--and do not confuse the much more serious and treatable temporal artertis---headaches with transient one sided blindness or else you could go blind.
In my medical practice, I see more optic neuritis related to subacute thyroiditis----thyroid antibodies positive with only slightly increased thyroid hormone levels, a condition that generally leads to low thyroid over time. I also see inflammatory bowel disease, like Chron's associated with the thyroid antibodies, suggesting that there may be a protein in the eyes, thyroid and bowel that are similiar.
Also beware of sleep apnea, that great immitator, that is often associated with migraine headaches and fibromyaligia and which can cause TIAs or even strokes if it is bad enough. I have seen patients with optic neuritis who did not have MS but who did have serious OSA.
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