Did you know? Vision is one of the senses most vital for survival, this is probably the reason that half of your brain tissue handles vision.
Neurophthalmology is a medical field dealing with the connection between the eyes and the brain. The field’s name is composed of two words: neuro – the nerve system and ophthalmology – eye medicine.
The eyes are like a camera detecting external signals, they are connected to the brain through the sight nerves, which are the first part of the system that transports the signals and images received to be deciphered by the brain. Any harm to this system might cause a disruption in your sight.
Another area treated within the Neurophthalmology clinic in the Kaplan Medical Center is diagnosis and treatment of disruptions of the eye movements.
What are the causes and symptoms of these disruptions?
The main causes and symptoms are:
• Stroke
• Infection of the sight nerve (typical for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis)
• Diseases of the sight nerve
• Edema of the sight nerve
• Harming the field of sight
• Disruptions of the eye movement and double vision
• Changes in the pupils’ size
• Eyelids dropping
• Strabismus (typical in children) (link)
• Etc
The main complaints that bring patients to eye doctors are: a sudden difficulty in sight, the appearance of head and eye aches, blur of vision or double vision etc.
How to reach the Neurophthalmology clinic?
Mostly, the primary evaluation of a medical problem is done by an eye doctor in the community, and he refers to further examinations and diagnosis in the Kaplan Medical Center clinic. There is a variety of tests we can perform, such as: basic eye examination by an ophthalmologist, specializing in Neurophthalmology, with a test of vision sharpness, color sight, pupil reaction, field of vision etc, subject to the doctor’s discretion. Later on, it is possible that the doctor refers to ultrasound or MRI tests.
What is the Possible Treatment?
Sometimes, there is no need for any treatment, only for observation and follow up.
Medications: according to the diagnosis, we shall decide the continuance of administering oral drugs, intravenous drugs etc, in accordance with the severity of the disease and the risk it entails.
Surgery: Sometimes we can consider an option for surgery of the eye and eye socket (link), strabismus repair surgery (link) and other surgeries in cooperation with the neurosurgical doctors.
The Neurophthalmology clinic is a part of the eye ward, in the Kaplan Medical Center. A referral to the eye clinic can be received from your eye doctor using form no. 17.
