Nystagmus

Nystagmus is usually an infantile condition that occurs in very early age and causes abnormal and involuntary movement of the eyes resulting in swinging motion rather than staying fixed on an object or person. The eyes move together oscillating or swinging like a pendulum. It may also cause the eyes to jerk sideways or up and down.

Different kinds of Nystagmus

• Manifest nystagmus that is present all the time
• Congenital nystagmus is present from birth
• Manifest-latent nystagmus is always present but worsens when one eye is covered
• Acquired nystagmus is caused by an accident or some diseases like multiple sclerosis, brain tumor etc.
• Latent nystagmus occurs when one eye is covered

Basic types of Nystagmus

• Optokinetic (eye related) can occur due to optic nerve abnormalities, congenital cataracts and retinal dystrophies.
• Vestibular (inner ear related) or jerk nystagmus in which eyes slowly drift in one direction and then jerk back in other direction.

Symptoms of Nystagmus

• It is an involuntary condition, meaning people with the condition cannot control their eyes.
• It worsens with tiredness and stress
• Affects both vision and appearance
• Unclear image formation due to continuous sweeping of eyes
• Eyes in constant motion
• Abnormal head posture

Vision Therapy for Nystagmus

Vision Therapy program for Nystagmus involve the use of visual, auditory, tactile, & proprioceptive feedback in conjunction with visual attention, visual imagery, and relaxation techniques to train and improve visual skills & abilities resulting in followings:

• Improved vision
• Improved Eye-Muscle Coordination
• Better eye contact
• Accurate Visual Tracking
• Eye Control
• Sustained focus
• Visual Perception
• Eye-hand Coordination
• Good Visualization