All you should know about ‘Nystagmus’

The involuntary and rapid sideways swinging motion of the eyes is caused by an anomaly known as ‘Nystagmus’. Some of the nystagmuses cause certain jerk-like sideways movement or frequent up-and-down motion. Whatever the motion, the eyes are unable to stay fixed on a person or object during this problem.

Most of the people suffering from the issue happened to develop nystagmus in early stages of their life. Medical experts, especially ophthalmologists explained that every one of several hundreds and thousands of children has nystagmus. It’s further categorised into;

Manifest
Congenital
Manifest-latent
Acquired
Latent

Let’s discuss each type in detail for clarity.

Classification of ‘Nystagmus’

Manifest & Latent

Nystagmus which is present at all times right from infancy of early childhood is categorised as ‘manifest’ whereas occurrence in any one of both the eyes is ‘latent’.

Congenital

This particular type is present at birth and the eyes usually move in conjunction as they oscillate/swing. Going further, other specific types of infantile nystagmus are associated to ‘strabismus’ which hampers the ability of the eyes to move or work together all the time.

Acquired

Multiple sclerosis, diabetic neuropathy, brain tumour, direct injury to the head or any other neurological anomaly can be a direct cause for ‘acquired nystagmus’. In rare cases, vibrating movements, nicotine intake, sudden flash of light in front of the eye and ‘hyperventilation’ also cause this particular type of nystagmus.

That being said, some of the ‘acquired nystagmuses’ are treatable with medication or an eye surgery in Abu Dhabi! However, the course of treatment is decided by the doctor so do consult rather than opting for a self-treatment that can even worsen the condition.

Symptoms, causes & challenges

Although nystagmus develops either during early stages of childhood or infantile, it can be triggered by onset of a certain disease, trauma and mostly neurological anomalies! Two of the basic types of nystagmuses are;

Opto-kinetic (eye associated)
Vestibular (inner ear associated)

“Jerk Nystagmus” is developed among the people suffering from inner ear problems during which the eyes float slowly in a specific direction before directing to another course with a jerk. Due to particular movement of the eyes, people with the anomaly can develop vertigo or nausea whereas this type of nystagmus is temporary. A decongestant helps in coping with this condition but do so after doctor’s consultation. Nystagmus self-improved as a person reaches adulthood but can worsen with persistence stress and tiredness.

Self-perception and vision are mostly affected by nystagmus. Vision limitation or reduced sight is a common problem associated with nystagmus due to which a person constantly rubs the eye to keep the vision clear. On the contrary, some people already have numerous vision anomalies and are considered legally blind.

Treatment

An eye surgery in Abu Dhabi or other medical treatments can definitely help individuals with nystagmus. Surgery significantly reduces null position, lessens the tilting of the head as well as improves cosmetic appearance. Right pair of eyeglasses and contact lenses helps people with nystagmus to see better and clear.