Nystagmus and Laser Eye Surgery
Do you feel like your eyes have a life of their own? Do your eyes move around, side-to-side, or up-and-down on their own? If so, you’re not alone. You may be suffering from nystagmus, an eye condition in which you can’t control your eye movements. At Pacific Vision Institute, we examine your eyes to determine if you have nystagmus and curate the ideal treatment plan for your needs.
What are the symptoms of nystagmus?
Nystagmus, also called “dancing eyes,” is a condition leading to loss of control over eye movements. As such, your eyes seem to move around on their own. The movement may be fast, slow, or both, and it may affect one or both eyes.
If you have nystagmus, you may subconsciously bob your head around or hold it in strange positions. You may do this subconsciously to help focus your gaze because of the dancing eyes. Most people don’t realize they’re doing it until someone else points it out.
Children with nystagmus often have a blurry vision but no shakiness. Adults with nystagmus often feel like the world is moving around them, which can be dizzying. You may also be sensitive to bright lights or unable to focus in dimly lit environments.
What are the possible causes of nystagmus?
- Genetic, i.e., nystagmus can be passed down from the parents.
- Nystagmus can be symptomatic of other eye problems, such as cataracts or strabismus (crossed eyes).
- Nystagmus can be symptomatic of non-eye related problems, such as multiple sclerosis or Meniere’s disease (inner-ear condition leading to vertigo and dizziness).
- Problems in the inner ears.
- Head injuries.
- Albinism (lack of pigmentation on the skin).
- Alcohol or drug consumption.
- Nystagmus can be a side effect of some medications, such as lithium.
Can you treat nystagmus with laser eye surgery?
Nystagmus often occurs as a side effect of another problem or condition, such as Meniere’s disease, cataracts, etc. As such, nystagmus can’t be treated, but it can be managed. Laser eye surgery won’t treat nystagmus altogether, but it will improve visual acuity and minimize some of the worst symptoms of nystagmus.
Nystagmus occurs when there’s a problem in how your eye sends messages to the brain, and how your brain processes that information. This can occur due to several reasons, as highlighted in the previous section. Laser eye surgery is used to correct refractive errors and improve general eyesight. During the procedure, lasers are used to reshape the inner surface of the eye’s cornea to improve visual acuity.
How to manage the symptoms of nystagmus
As mentioned previously, nystagmus can’t be treated completely — only managed. Even after the laser eye surgery, you will need to incorporate some general lifestyle tips to manage the symptoms of nystagmus.
The following are some tips on how to live with nystagmus:
- Read books with large letters.
- Increase the size of fonts on your computers and digital screens.
- Use more lighting while reading.
- Children with nystagmus should be encouraged to play with large and brightly-colored toys.
- Children with nystagmus can also wear sunglasses indoors to reduce glare.
Why choose Pacific Vision Institute for nystagmus treatment?
Pacific Vision Institute is a state-of-the-art eye center led by ophthalmologist Dr. Ella Faktorovich, widely considered one of the best doctors in the United States. Dr. Ella Faktorovich has been practicing laser eye surgery for over 30 years, using it to treat numerous eye-related problems. She will carefully determine if you have nystagmus and diagnose its root cause to curate the ideal treatment plan.