<p>Stephany Harris</p><p>Nystagmus</p><p>What is Nystagmus? : It is the jerky involuntary movement of the nerves in the eye. Also, described as rhythmic shaking or wobbling of the eyes. It is derived from the Greek word </p><p>“nmstagmos”, which was used to describe the wobbly head movements of a sleepy or inebriated individual. This condition has also been described as “dancing eyes” or “jerking eyes”.</p><p>Types: It is divided into two groups traditionally, sensory nystagmus is related to vision loss and motor nystagmus is related to the control of muscle function. There are over 45 types of nystagmus. </p><p>Causes: Nystagmus may be inherited, result from a sensory problem or occur for no known reason. It can also arise later in life due to an injury or illness such as a head injury, multiple sclerosis, or brain tumors. Unlike nystagmus acquired from early in life, patients with late onset usually notice movement in their vision related to the movement of their eyes. This is called oscillopsia. It causes a person to have vertigo or dizziness. In many cases the early onset nystagmus is associated with ocular disease many of which are inherited conditions. Some medications may cause this for example, Dilantin and Phenobarbital. Sometimes removal of the cause may cure nystagmus, but often it is permanent but stable.</p><p>Symptoms & Characteristics: Vision often varies during the day and is likely to be affected by emotional and physical factors such as stress, fatigue, nervousness, or unfamiliar surroundings. </p><p>It is uncommon to permanently worsen over time. Vision is often reduced and sometimes focusing is an issue. In fact, nystagmus often improves mildly from childhood to adulthood. </p><p>Patients report problems with balance and impairment to binocular vision.</p><p>Part of the eye affected: Nerves</p><p>Treatment: Nystagmus is non-treatable but contact lenses, drugs, surgery, and low vision rehabilitation can be used in order to improve visual function. Most people with this condition have a null point (by looking to one side or the other) where the eye movement is reduced and vision is improved. This can be achieved by a certain head posture the person will acquire himself or herself. Genetic counseling can help the patient and family understand the odds of passing the condition to their children. Not all cases of early onset nystagmus are hereditary.</p><p>Sources: http://www.lowvision.org/nystagmus.htm http://www.nystagmus.org/entry.html http://www.spedex.com/resource/documents/veb/nystagmus.html http://www.nystagmusnet.org/info.htm http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/516/main.html</p>