Nystagmus, what is it and how is it treated?

Currently, patients with disturbance in the balance of eye movements, one of which is known as nystagmus or nystagmus.

It is a periodic and ocular rhythmic oscillation of the eyes, which can affect one or both of them, on one or more axes. Is involuntary, which means that people who suffer from it they can't control the movement of your eyes. In more common terms, it would be said that it is a rapid, back and forth movement of the eyes instead of staying focused on a fixed point.

Types of Nystagmus

According to its functional cause

• Nystagmus physiological (= no disease): caused by the movements of the endolymph in the inner ear when we make a circular movement with the head.
• Nystagmus pathological

According to the moment of appearance

• Nystagmus congenital (present at birth or appears shortly after it, manifesting itself in the first six months of life).
• Nystagmus acquired (may appear already in adult life).

According to the affected eyes

• Unilateral (affects only one eye).
• Bilateral (affects both).

According to the axis of movement

• Nystagmus horizontal (with side-side eye movement).
• Nystagmus vertical (eye movement up-down).
• Nystagmus torsional (rotating eye movements).
• Any combination of these movements superimposed on each other (that is, it is not always pure, and there can be a wide range of variations).

According to the type of nystagmus

• Nystagmus manifest: is presented at all times.
• Nystagmus latent: worse when one eye is covered.
• Nystagmus sensory: it is due to a defective vision.
• Nystagmus motor: it is due to defects related to oculomotor development or control.
• Nystagmus dissociated.
• Nystagmus alternating periodic.

Why does nystagmus occur?

It can be produced by diseases already present at birthor, like him, aniridia (absence of iris in the eye) or neurological malformations such as Chiari malformation, among other examples. Although they exist other supervening causes such as suffering from a brain tumor, a head injury or undergoing brain surgery, etc. Also diseases such as multiple sclerosis or stroke ...

Also, it can occur in the context of consumption of some medications (barbiturates, lithium, benzodiazepines ...) or in consumption of drugs of abuse (Ketamine, amphetamines, fecyclidine or PCP, etc.), as well as derived from alcohol consumption, etc.

Signs and symptoms

Those most frequently associated with nystagmus are:

• Decreased visual acuity: It is due to the inability to fix the gaze constantly. (In some people, the associated vision problems are so important that they can be considered legally blind).
• Compensatory head position to decrease nystagmus (positioned so that the eyes are in a position that minimizes movement).
• Oscilloscope (illusory movement of objects).
• Vertigo (apparent movement of the environment that surrounds the individual).
• Disturbance aesthetics and affectation psychological.

Nystagmus clinical evaluation

The patient with nystagmus should be evaluated in the so that they can carry out the pertinent complementary ones.