What cures shaking eyes?
Q: My son has cerebral palsy and his opthamologist tells us that the
more my son tries to focus with his eyes, the more they shake. The
doctor tells us that he is involved with research on vitamin therapy for
this type of problem.
A: I forwarded this letter to Michael Simeone, OD (optometrist) who
responded as follows: "I find the vitamin therapy for tremors to be
fascinating and worth looking into. Concerning your son's "shaking," I
assume you are referring to what we call nystagmus - an involuntary
shaking of the eyes. It can be constant or not, and can be quite
variable with a concentrated task such as reading. This is often due to
the fact that the eye movement muscles and focusing muscles are on the
same "wiring."
You may want to consider a consultation with a behavioral optometrist.
Any or all of the following may have an impact on nystagmus:
- Prescribing plus lenses for near work. This relaxes the effort to
focus as well as enlarges the image, resulting in easier and hopefully
more steady vision.
- Yoked prisms enhance the effect of the plus lenses and also have an
effect on brainwave function.
- Binasal occluders (it sounds stranger than it is) can have a
steadying effect on nystagmus.
Note: These interventions do not always lessen nystagmus or its
effects. Nystagmus is a difficult condition to treat."
For more information, consult your family vision specialist or contact
Michael Simeone, OD (Doctor of Optometry)
Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.
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