Prevention of a second or third NAAION attack in the same eye (rare) or the other eye (at least about 20% probability but can be 60% or more if a controllable so reversible risk factor is not controlled, so reversed) is what most patients will try to achieve as best as they can. No one wants to get fully or almost fully blind if he can avoid it by changes in his lifestyle, exercising, job (choice), stressers, hydration, sleeping, drugs use, surgery planning, traveling etc. Often it can be done.
Essentially there are four types of risk factors:
1. The non-reversible risk factors (about 15-20%)
2. The reversible risk factors (with varying added risk on top of the non-reversible 15-20%). They are subdivided in:
a. Reversible Proven risk factors
b. Non-Reversible Proven risk factors
c. Non-Reversible Debatable risk factors (usually with proponents and opponents in the medical profession)
d. Reversible Debatable risk factors (usually with proponents and opponents in the medical profession)
e. Anecdotal risk factors