When Must You Consult a Neuro-Ophthalmologist?

Your eyes are one of the most delicate and important organs of your body and need proper eye care to ensure that you have good vision for a long time. However, with advancing age, eye-related ailments such as cataracts and glaucoma are common among older people.

There are nearly 11.2 million people over the age of forty with glaucoma in India, while the number of people with cataract blindness is approximately 3.8 million. While these numbers are alarming, routine visits to your eye doctor can help in following preventive eye care.

However, for more serious eye complications, you may need a specialist like a neuro-ophthalmologist. Let’s discuss what neuro-ophthalmologists are and how they can help you.

What Is a Neuro-Ophthalmologist?

A neuro-ophthalmologist is a certified physician with specialities in either ophthalmology and neurology or both and has expertise in problems of the eye, brain, nerves, and muscles. He diagnoses and treats neurological and systemic ailments that affect your vision that may be caused by brain injury, trauma, or diseases.

Symptoms that Indicate You Need to See a Neuro-Ophthalmologist

If you experience eyesight-related issues, you must consult your ophthalmologist, who will conduct certain eye tests and, if required, refer you to a neuro-ophthalmologist for the following symptoms:

• Impacted visual acuity: Reduced clarity and sharpness of images and double vision may be due to refractive errors, optic nerve issues, tumours, or aneurysms in the brain.
• Impaired eye movement: The inability to move your eyes may be due to nystagmus, cranial nerve palsy, or myasthenia gravis.
• Abnormality in pupil size: A change in pupil size may mean a serious neurological issue, such as a brain aneurysm.
• Recurrent severe headaches: Unexplained frequent headaches that do not get much relief from primary treatment need a thorough probe

Other common symptoms that may require a visit to the neuro-ophthalmologist are

• Difficulty in perceiving light (photophobia)
• Affected colour vision. Identification of the red and green colours becomes difficult
• Visual field defects

Conditions Treated by a Neuro-Ophthalmologist

A neuro-ophthalmologist focuses on visual problems related to varied neurological conditions that cause optic nerve impairments. The optic nerve is a bundle of fibres that transfers visual information from the eye to the brain. Any type of damage or pressure on these fibres can hamper their functioning and lead to several visual problems and impaired eye movement. 

A neuro-ophthalmologist offers treatment for a wide range of conditions, such as:

• Papilledema: Swelling in the optic nerve due to pressure build-up in the brain leads impacts your vision. The pressure in the skull is reduced by medicines or surgery if you have a tumour.
• Optic neuritis: Swelling near the optic nerve affects the nerve’s ability to function properly and may lead to pain and discomfort in the eye and temporary loss of eye movement and vision.
• Nutritional optic neuropathy: Damage to the optic nerve due to nutritional deficiencies of Vitamin B-complex and folic acid or consumption of toxic substances such as alcohol and tobacco.
• Diabetes related optic nerve and cranial nerve disorders: Damage to the optic nerve due to excess blood sugar can lead to the disruption of blood supply to the retina resulting in blindness. 
• Tumour: Brain tumours or orbital tumours create pressure within the skull that affects the optic nerves and may obstruct your vision. 
• Blepharospasm: Involuntary twitching or blinking of the eyelid caused by muscle spasms around the eye.
• Blepharoptosis: Drooping of the upper eyelid affects vision, and the condition may worsen if you stay awake for long periods.
• Nystagmus: Also called dancing eyes, it includes impaired vision, depth perception, balance, and coordination due to frequent eye movements.
• Multiple Sclerosis: Damage to the myelin around the optic fibres due to the autoimmune condition may affect vision.

Other medical conditions that are treated by a neuro-ophthalmologist are

• Microvascular cranial nerve palsy, also known as diabetic palsy
• Myasthenia gravis
• Ischemic neuritis
• Leber optic neuropathy
• Pseudotumor cerebri
• Strabismus
• Thyroid eye disease

Reasons to Visit a Neuro-Ophthalmologist at Netralayam

Our neuro-ophthalmologists at Netralayam, an eye care hospital in Kolkata, provide eye care to patients with eye discomfort or vision changes due to neurological issues. Our doctors evaluate your symptoms and recommend an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan.

At our hospital, we also have a team of paediatric neuro-ophthalmologists dedicated to providing optimum eye care to infants and children with vision complications with utmost care and comfort.

Consult the Superspeciality Eye Care Centre, Netralayam for an Eye Examination

If you are looking for a super-specialized eye hospital in Mukundapur, Kolkata, that offers care for a wide range of eye-related diseases, or a neuro-ophthalmologist for your eyesight problems, contact our team at Netralayam. Our doctors aim to provide careful eye care following standard patient-care protocols.

Frequently Asked Questions About Neuro-Ophthalmologist

1) What does a neuro-ophthalmologist do?

A neuro-ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions, such as double vision, optic nerve disorders, and eye movement problems, that affect the nerves and muscles that control eye movement and vision. They often work closely with other medical professionals, such as neurologists and ophthalmologists, to provide comprehensive care to patients with neurological disorders that affect the eyes and vision.

2) What to expect when seeing a neuro-ophthalmologist?

When seeing a neuro-ophthalmologist, you can expect to undergo a thorough examination of your eyes and vision. The neuro-ophthalmologist will use the results of these tests, along with your medical history and other information, to diagnose any conditions you may have and recommend a treatment plan. You should also be prepared to discuss any symptoms you are experiencing and any questions or concerns you have with the neuro-ophthalmologist.

3) What tests do neuro-ophthalmologists do?

Neuro-ophthalmologists may use a variety of tests to diagnose and evaluate your eye conditions. Some common tests may include:

• Visual acuity test
• Visual field test
• Eye movement tests
• Dilated eye exam
• Imaging tests, such as MRI, CT Scan