What to expect at the doctor’s clinic?
Your doctor will take a careful history and perform a thorough physical examination, focusing on the nervous system and inner ear. The doctor may ask you to wear a pair of goggles that magnify your eyes for part of the examination. Utsav Eye Clinic is one of the few centre that specialises in medical and surgical treatment of Nystagmus in Navi Mumbai.
If you or your child have nystagmus due to a medical condition, these eye movements will depend on the cause.
Questions asked in a medical history may cover the following areas:
- When were the movements first noticed?
- How often does they occur?
- Has this ever happened before?
- Is the problem getting better, worse, or staying the same?
- Are there side-to-side eye movements?
- Are there up-and-down eye movements?
- What medications are you taking?
- What other symptoms do you have?
How is nystagmus treated?
Glasses and contact lenses should be prescribed to correct any vision deficits. Amblyopia should be treated agressively in an attempt to improve vision and dampen the nystagmus. If the adult-onset acquired nystagmus is caused by a neurological problem often times it can be treated with certain drugs, however, it really depends on the cause of the nystagmus. Some research suggests that encouraging children with nystagmus, during the early years, to use their eyes while playing with games and toys can actually help improve vision and dampen the nystagmus. Some selected patients with nystagmus are benefitted by eye muscle surgery.
Can my nystagmus be corrected by surgery?
Surgery for nystagmus can be indicated in several clinical situations. Before considering surgery, your doctor will rule out pathologic causes for nystagmus. Eye muscle surgery in patients having nystagmus and a consistent abnormal head posture works by relocating the position of decreased nystagmus (optimal vision) to the primary gaze position. In some patients, the nystagmus improves just by surgically aligning the eyes, which allows for binocular vision, hence reducing latent nystagmus. More recently tenotomy and re-attachment of the four recti muscles has been described to improve nystagmus.
What benefits would I get from the nystagmus surgery?
If you need to adapt a head posture to read fine print, eye muscle surgery can improve or totally eliminate the abnormal head posture. Surgery for nystagmus in selected patients can decrease nystagmus amplitude, and possibly improve visual acuity. Other visual functions (including recognition time) can also show improvement. It is important to discuss these procedures with a pediatric ophthalmologist after the disorder has been accurately diagnosed.
< To read more about causes & symptoms of nystagmus, click here……