An Overview Of Ophthalmoplegia
Ophthalmoplegia is a serious eye condition that occurs when your eye muscles become impaired. Damage to the muscles you require to move your eyes can lead to problems with your vision, eye coordination and eyelid strength. It's not always possible to determine what has caused ophthalmoplegia to develop, but underlying health conditions that can impair communication between the eyes and the brain are often to blame. Examples of these conditions include brain tumours, stroke, multiple sclerosis and thyroid disease. Ophthalmoplegia can also develop as a result of trauma to the eye, and it may take some time for the condition to develop after the trauma occurs.
Symptoms Of Ophthalmoplegia
Ophthalmoplegia can cause you to experience double vision or blurred vision and can lead to your eyelids drooping. You may lose some of the range of movement in your eyes and your eyes may struggle to look in the same direction due to muscle damage. Without prompt treatment, your eye health can deteriorate and you may have headaches or experience eye pain.
Diagnosing And Treating Ophthalmoplegia
Ophthalmoplegia can be diagnosed when you have an eye test. Your optometrist will use an ophthalmoscope to examine the back of your eyes to rule out other conditions and will carry out an extraocular muscle test to determine the extent of muscle damage. This test is painless and simply involves moving your eyes in a range of different directions while your optometrist observes and measures your range of motion. When an optometrist suspects ophthalmoplegia it's typical to be referred for further tests, such as an MRI scan, to determine the cause of the eye condition.
If you have an underlying health problem that's causing ophthalmoplegia, the goal will be to get that under control to prevent further damage to your eye health. This may involve surgical removal of a tumour, a course of antibiotics or changes to your prescription medication. You may be given an eye patch to wear to help strengthen the muscles of the uncovered eye, and prism lens glasses can be used to treat visual disturbances by adjusting the angle that light enters your eyes. In some cases, eye surgery to treat muscle imbalance can be effective. During and after treatment your optometrist will check on your eye health at regular intervals.
Ophthalmoplegia can make simple daily tasks, such as reading, a challenge. The condition is usually easier to correct when it's diagnosed early, so if you have any of the above symptoms, book an eye test.
Reach out to an optometrist in your area to learn more.
Hello. My name is Kyle and this my new blog. I would like to tell you a story about my eyes. For many years, I thought I had perfect vision. However, last year my wife was pointing at something in the distance and talking about it and I realised that I couldn't quite make it out. My vision was blurry. I thought I must just be a bit tired so I forgot about it. However, a few weeks later, I noticed that it was happening again. I decided to contact an optometrist so I could have my eyes tested. The optometrist said I needed some glasses and made me a set of lenses.