Sometimes, while talking with a person, you may notice that his eyes “run”. In this case, you may feel that the person you are talking to is not interested in communicating with or does not trust you. He looks away, does not focus on your face and does not maintain eye contact. Unfortunately, a person can behave this way not because of an unwillingness to maintain a conversation, but because of a disease called nystagmus. What is it, what are the causes of this disorder, how is it diagnosed and treated? We will talk about all this in detail in this article.
Definition of nystagmus
The clinical manifestation of this disease is quite frequent, rhythmic, involuntary oscillatory movements of the eyeballs. A person with nystagmus cannot focus his eyes on any subject. He cannot, by force of his will, begin or independently stop involuntary eye movements. Often this disease is accompanied by a decrease in visual acuity. With age, the manifestations of nystagmus may decrease slightly. Nevertheless, any stressful situation or even severe fatigue can again provoke a deterioration in its course. Nystagmus is not a cosmetic flaw, as many tend to think, but a really serious problem. This disease is often accompanied by a violation of the functions of the visual system, as the eyeballs of patients move uncontrollably, and this does not allow a good view of the object. Some people become almost blind due to nystagmus, complicated by other eye diseases. In general, nystagmus can significantly impair the quality of life, well-being and psychological balance of a person. What is it, we considered, now we will discuss the causes of the occurrence, symptomatic manifestations and types of this disease.
Causes of nystagmus
This oculomotor pathology can be observed from birth, from early childhood or appear in adulthood as a result of eye diseases or impaired functioning of the brain. The occurrence of nystagmus can contribute to:
- intrauterine growth retardation ;
- prematurity of the child;
- birth injuries;
- eye diseases (hyperopia, myopia, strabismus, retinal dystrophy, optic atrophy, astigmatism);
- both congenital and acquired visual impairment;
- traumatic and infectious lesions of the brain (bridge, cerebellum, pituitary, second frontal gyrus of the medulla oblongata).
In addition, involuntary eye movements may result from a stroke or multiple sclerosis. The development of nystagmus can trigger the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Drugs such as Amiodarone, Primidon, barbiturates, Phenytoin, Fluorouracil, Carbamazepine may also contribute to the onset of this disease. In some cases, stress conditions are considered the causes of its occurrence.
Congenital and acquired nystagmus. What it is?
Nystagmus may develop amid problems associated with neurological pathologies or with diseases of the human visual system. Congenital nystagmus is a pathology of eye movement, manifested from the very moment of birth.
It can develop due to the pathology of the subcortical formations of the brain (oculomotor, visual, vestibular). Visual acuity with hereditary congenital nystagmus depends on the magnitude and frequency of involuntary oscillatory movements and is extremely low. As a rule, this disease is combined with organic lesions of the visual system: dystrophic changes in the fundus, atrophy of the optic nerve, as well as functional visual impairments. Most often, it manifests itself in the second or third month of a child’s life. Acquired nystagmus - what is it? It is an oculomotor pathology that can occur at any period of life due to existing vascular disorders, inflammatory or tumor processes in various parts of the brain. This disease can also occur due to head injuries, abuse of drugs, drugs, alcohol. Acquired pathology is divided into spontaneous nystagmus caused by violations of the vestibular analyzer, installation and optokinetic.
Types of oculomotor pathology
There are several classifications of nystagmus. The first typology is based on the direction of oscillatory movements. The following types are distinguished:
- horizontal nystagmus (eye movement is directed left-right);
- vertical nystagmus (eye movements up and down);
- diagonal nystagmus (diagonal movements);
- rotational nystagmus (eyeballs moving in a circle).
The second classification is based on the nature of eye movement. Pendulum-like nystagmus is characterized by uniform tangential movements of the eyeballs, while their speed in both directions is the same and fairly slowed down. Jolly nystagmus is characterized by a slow eye movement in any direction and a quick return. The mixed type includes both types: jerky and pendulum-like. The third classification implies a division by type of manifestation: explicit (marked constantly) and hidden (the appearance of uncontrolled movements when one eye is closed).
Diagnostic procedures for determining nystagmus and treatment of the disease
When examining a patient, any doctor can easily determine nystagmus by specific involuntary eye movements. But in order to find out the root cause of the disease, additional studies will be required.
First, an ophthalmologist will determine visual acuity, the state of the retina and fundus, and will also examine the functioning of the optic nerve and oculomotor apparatus. In the future, the patient will be referred to a neurologist to undergo diagnostic procedures: EEG, MRI and Echo-EG. After identifying the root cause, therapeutic treatment will be prescribed. It will begin with the elimination of the underlying disease that caused the nystagmus (for example, correction of disorders: astigmatism, hyperopia, myopia). In addition, vasodilating drugs and vitamins will be prescribed for proper nutrition of tissue and retina. If it is necessary to strengthen weakened muscles or, on the contrary, weaken too strong muscles, the patient will also be shown a surgical intervention that allows stopping the symptoms of nystagmus disease. Surgical treatment will reduce the amplitude and frequency of the oscillatory movements of the eyeballs. In any case, the treatment of oculomotor pathology will take a lot of time.