Nystagmus is an involuntary eye movement that can be benign or indicate an underlying disease. Some types are normal, while others result from disease, trauma, or neurological disorders. Congenital nystagmus is present at birth, while acquired nystagmus is caused by an event later in life. Treatment options include drugs, contact lenses, low vision rehabilitation, and surgical treatments.
Nystagmus is the word used to describe an involuntary movement of the eyes. It is characterized by a slow sweeping motion in one direction, followed by the eye snapping back rapidly in the other direction. Most often it includes both eyes and can be exaggerated when the person moves their eyes to look in a certain direction. The presence of the condition nystagmus can be benign and harmless, or it can be an indication of an underlying disease or problem. There are many classifications of nystagmus, depending on the reason for its occurrence and the period of life in which it occurs.
Some types of nystagmus are actually considered normal. For example, when a person is looking far in one direction, it is not uncommon or cause for concern for a slight contraction of the eye muscles to bring the eye back toward center. Most other varieties result from disease, trauma, or neurological disorders.
Congenital nystagmus is present at birth and is usually discovered when the child is very young. In this case, it is usually called manifest nystagmus if it is present at all times, or latent nystagmus if it occurs only when one eye is covered. There is also manifest-latent nystagmus, somewhat a combination of the two, where it is always present to some extent, but worsens when one eye is covered. In some cases, it appears as an isolated problem and is not related to other problems.
If the condition isn’t present at birth, but is caused by some event later in life, it’s called acquired nystagmus. In this case, more often than not there is some kind of neurological problem at the root of it. Some of the many conditions that can cause nystagmus are multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, and Wernicke’s encephalopathy. Abuse of harmful or controlled substances such as phencyclidine (PCP), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), barbiturates, lithium, and antidepressants can also cause it.
Traditionally, congenital nystagmus was thought to be untreatable, but some drugs developed in recent years have shown some potential to treat it. Other non-drug treatments have worked for some who suffer from it, and these include contact lenses, low vision rehabilitation, and some surgical treatments. No single treatment has been found to be a complete cure, but more drugs and surgical corrective techniques continue to be developed.
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