Neurological conditions can affect your eyes and vision and have a big impact on your daily life. Your eyes receive visual information, but it’s actually your brain that interprets the information and allows you to ‘see’ the image. Your brain also controls your eye movements and focus.

A neuro-ophthalmologist performs comprehensive examinations to diagnose and treat a range of conditions that can affect the brain and nervous system. Some of these are listed below.

• Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that affects the connection between the nerves and eye muscles.
• Brain tumours and strokes can damage the blood supply to the eyes or optic nerves. Some brain tumours may put direct physical pressure on the eye or associated structures.
• Giant cell arteritis is an inflammation of the arteries, which can cause sudden blindness in one or both eyes if the arteries supplying the eyes are affected.
• Thyroid eye disease is an autoimmune process, where the body’s own antibodies attack the tissue and muscles around the eyes.
• Optic neuritis occurs when the optic nerve becomes inflamed, interfering with the transmission of signals from the eye to the brain. It is often associated with multiple sclerosis, but may also occur with infectious and other inflammatory disorders.
• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (previously known as pseudotumour cerebri) results from a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain, causing increased pressure in the skull and swelling of the optic nerves. Recent weight gain is strongly associated with this condition, as are antibiotics in the tetracycline family and acne medications derived from Vitamin A.
• Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system and can affect the optic nerves, resulting in visual distortion and loss.