Medical & Surgical Treatment of Nystagmus
Diagnosing nystagmus requires ruling out pathological underlying conditions. At Utsav Eye Clinic, our workup involves a detailed history, neurological checkups, and specialized goggles that magnify the eyes to track oscillation amplitude.
Non-Surgical Treatments
Initial care focuses on optimizing the patient's existing sight:
- Glasses & Contact Lenses: Clear vision helps stabilize the eyes. Contacts are particularly useful because the lens moves with the eye, keeping the optical center aligned.
- Lazy Eye Treatment: Patching therapy (amblyopia correction) in children helps strengthen sight and reducelatent oscillations.
- Medications: Certain drugs can help dampen acquired adult-onset nystagmus, depending on the neurological cause.
Surgical Correction (Eye Muscle Surgery)
In selected patients, eye muscle surgery can dramatically improve visual function. Nystagmus surgery works in two ways:
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1.
Shifting the Null Point:
If a child has a significant head tilt to keep their eyes at the "null point" (angle of best vision), surgery shifts the eye muscles to move that null point to the straight-ahead position. This eliminates the head tilt, preventing chronic neck/spine problems.
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2.
Tenotomy & Dampening:
Cutting and re-attaching the recti muscles dampens the signal transmission between the muscles and the brain. This reduces the amplitude of shaking, improves focus time, and can enhance visual acuity.
At Utsav Eye Clinic, our operating suites are fully set up for delicate pediatric eye muscle procedures, helping children achieve more stable vision and greater confidence.