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- $Unique_ID{BRK02344}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{What Is the Eye Condition Nystagmus?}
- $Subject{eyes nystagmus jittery movement brain lesion lesions congenital
- impairment impairments vision visual optic nerve nerves farsightedness
- nearsightedness retina retinas retinal albinism eye muscle surgery sense
- senses sight optical }
- $Volume{F-21}
- $Log{}
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- Copyright (c) 1992,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- What Is the Eye Condition Nystagmus?
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- QUESTION: My roommate at college has a condition of her eyes that I believe
- is called "nystagmus". I have never discussed this with her but would like to
- know a bit more about the condition. Will you please help?
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- ANSWER: Nystagmus is an involuntary, repeated, jittery movement of the eyes.
- Sometimes it is caused by a brain lesion, which may have been inherited. It
- may be caused by a congenital impairment of vision in the eye or optic nerve.
- People with vision problems such as extreme near or farsightedness, scars in
- the retina or optic nerve, or albinism may suffer with nystagmus. Rarely, it
- can occur from a brain tumor or neurologic disorder. If the cause can be
- determined and removed, the condition can be cured but often it is permanent.
- Glasses with prisms or eye muscle surgery may improve the head position and
- allow better vision in cases where the eyes are more stable when looking in a
- certain direction. Low vision aids can help in those cases caused by reduced
- vision. Eye medications and biofeedback rarely help control the nystagmus.
- With this basic information, you might try discussing it with your roommate.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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