Neuro-ophthalmologist

When it comes to vision, eyes are like an annoying coworker who does only 50 percent of the work, but takes 100 percent of the credit: Although they get all the glory for helping you see, it’s the brain that does most of the labor.

In fact, people use almost half the brain for vision-related activities. As a Neuro-ophthalmologist, therefore, you address people’s vision problems by treating not their eyes, but rather their brain.

Part Neurologist, part Neurosurgeon, and part Ophthalmologist, as a Neuro-ophthalmologist, you’re a Physician who specializes in illnesses and conditions that affect vision, but originate in the nervous system. For instance, optic neuritis, ischemic optic neuropathy, papilledema, cerebrovascual disorder, thyroid eye disease, ocular motor disorders, and hemifacial spasm, just to name a few.

If that sounds like a mouthful, consider, instead, some of the symptoms you look for as a Neuro-ophthalmologist: optic nerve problems, visual field loss, unexplained loss of vision, transient visual loss, double vision, abnormal eye movements, unequal pupil size, eye pain, and eyelid spasms.

No matter the illness or symptoms, you diagnose and treat neurological conditions that impact the eyes by performing the following daily duties: consulting with patients, giving eye exams, conducting and interpreting neurological exams — using MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds, ERGs, etc. — prescribing medications, administering treatments, and performing neurosurgery.

Treating your patients is kind of like fixing a car: If it’s not driving right, you’ve got to look under the hood to figure out what’s wrong. When folks can’t see, you therefore look under their figurative hood to find and fix the problem.