Help for Severe Eye Motility Problems

The Koala Eye Center, specialists in optical diseases, describes eye motility issues on its website, realpagessites.com/koalaeyecentre, as disorders resulting in problems for the patient with aligning their eyes, often accompanied by double vision and difficulty focusing. Besides vision issues, it can also result in embarrassment for the patient, as each eye appears to be looking in a different direction. By understanding the causes, different types and treatments sufferers can find help.

Understand Causes

• Many different medical conditions can cause severe eye motility problems. It is important to remember that the eye motility may be a symptom of an underlying disease. For example, diabetes, strokes, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, atherosclerosis and arthritis are just some examples.

  The medical information website, Informaworld.com, reports that brain injuries, such as whiplash, can also cause the disorder.

  Extensive computer usage is another potential culprit causing or exacerbating the disease, according to Causeof.org, a website dedicated to health issues facing computer users.

Understand Types of Motility

• The kinds of eye motility problems are numerous. For example, nystagmus results in one or both eyes juggling back and forth repeatedly. WrongDiagnosis.com tells readers that nystagmus also causes uncontrolled squinting and winking,

  Dissociated vertical deviation results in one eye moving independently of the other.

  Internuclear ophthalmoplegia creates impaired ability of eyes to follow each other's movements.

  A medical professional will need to perform examinations and tests to determine the cause in each specific case.

Understand Treatments

• Numerous treatments are available that patients can discuss with their doctor for severe eye mobility issues. Treatments will, of course, vary depending upon the cause and severity of the condition.

  If the eye motility is a symptom of an underlying condition, treatment of the main disease may also resolve the motility problem.

  The Bates Method of optical exercises is recommended by Causeof.org. These exercises are designed to help strengthen the optic muscles and give the patient more control over their eye movements.

  EyePlastics.com discusses how motility can be treated surgically by teaming internal implants into the eye with external eye prosthesis. This is called the Motility Coupling Post System.

  Eye muscle surgery is another option for severe cases of Eye Motility Problems. The muscle is cut from the eye ball and reattached in a different location to achieve single vision for the patient. This surgery does not usually entail an overnight stay in the hospital. Sometimes multiple surgeries may be needed to achieve the desired outcome.