Neuro-opthalmology
Neurology and Ophthalmology are amalgamated and turned into a super speciality with a new name, Neuro-Ophthalmology. Neuro-ophthalmologists can take good care of the people who are suffering from complex systematic diseases of the nervous system which causes damage to the vision, eye movements and alignments and not only that pupillary reflexes are also included.
When should you visit your Neuro-Ophthalmologist?
If you need special care, you must visit an expert in neuro-ophthalmology. In case you require a comprehensive eye examination get in touch with our expert team. All other symptoms which are associated with this become included. As the nervous system component is indirectly connected with the eyes and brain, those also fall under this category. Diseases that affect pupils of the eye and certain kinds of squint (mainly paralytic ) are also included in Neuro-ophthalmology.
Common Symptoms that Require Attention
There are some typical and significant symptoms that are seen in Neuro-ophthalmological problems include:
Sudden decrease or loss of vision
Sudden transient loss of vision (called a transient ischemic attack or eye stroke)
Visual hallucinations
Double vision or diplopia
Intractable headaches
Pupillary abnormalities (abnormal reaction, difference in size of both the pupils)
Sudden onset of difficulties in identifying colours
Inability to tolerate bright light
Visual Field Defects
Squint or strabismus (especially adult-onset)
Types of Eye Diseases that are treated by a Neuro-Ophthalmologist
Some eye diseases which need attention from neuro-ophthalmologists include:
Optic Neuritis
Inflammation of the optic nerve can cause a loss of vision or sometimes a decrease in vision. Sometimes an infection may be the reason or an autoimmune response also are the reason for this aforesaid result. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is associated with Optic Neuritis (ON).
Papilledema
The optic nerve head is swelled when it gets pressure from inside the brain due to tumours, infections like meningitis, encephalitis etc. and this painful disease are called Papilledema. One interesting fact you should know is that this situation is visible to the doctor during a ratinal evaluation.
Toxic or Nutritional Optic Neuropathy
The toxic substances which are found in tobacco and alcohol cause damages to the optic nerve. Not only that, a lack of nutrients, vitamin B-complex and folic acid as well cause optic nerve damage. These lack often helps in decreasing eyesight.
Squint or Strabismus
When someone who is paralysed often suffers from double vision because of the misalignment of the eye and also from the small muscles of the eye and this disease is named paralytic strabismus. This causes the limitations of ocular movement as well.
Common Tests for Diagnosis and Management of Neuro-Ophthalmology Diseases
The mainstay of the disease diagnosis always demands a comprehensive eye examination. A good doctor will always suggest one or more of these special tests be sure so that can conclude with the treatment needed. These tests are:
Orthoptic evaluation
Evaluation of ocular movements
Diplopia charting
Neurological visual fields screening
Optical coherence tomography of the optic nerve head
Evaluation of contrast sensitivity and colour vision
Imaging studies including CT scan, MRI and MR venogram
Lumbar puncture