What are vertigo symptoms and explaining nystagamus

Nystagamus is a word that you will often hear associated with vertigo. That is because it is one of the common symptoms that will be experienced during a vertigo attack along with a spinning sensation and a feeling of nausea and vomiting. Someone observing you might think you were drunk because of this nystagamus symptom and how it affects your eyes. As well as being part of the symptoms of vertigo nystagmus can also be used as a tool when diagnosing the problem.

Nystagamus refers to involuntary eye movements; this means you have no control over them when they occur. It comes from a Greek word that is used to describe the eye movement of those who are really drunk or really tired. Some people describe nystagamus as being like ‘dancing eyes’. The most usual movement is for these uncontrolled movements to occur from side to side, but it can also be in a swing motion, or up and down.

Vertigo is just one of the possible causes of nystagamus; in fact it is most often caused by a problem somewhere along the visual pathway. It has also been observed among people with certain learning disabilities such as Down syndrome. It is possible to inherit the conditions as well. Nystagamus can signify that something potentially dangerous is occurring in the brain so the symptom should never be ignored.

When nystagmus occurs with vertigo it is actually an attempt by the brain to improve the situation. The movements of nystagamus are an attempt by the brain to compensate for all the spinning that seems to be going on around them.

With vertigo the best way to deal with nystagamus is to keep your eyes open and try and focus on an unmoving object. This should not only cause a halt to the nystagmus, but also help with the other problems associated with vertigo such as swimming vision and feeling faint. It is not recommended that you close your eyes as this can make things feel worse than they already are. Vestibular system and what is vertigo

While trying to diagnose your problems your doctor might use these eye movements to see if you are suffering from benign postural vertigo. He might observe your eyes as he moves your head into different positions. These eye movements may also be used in other tests that you doctor can conduct. How to tell if I have benign postural vertigo.

As you can see from the above the nystagamus associated with vertigo is not necessarily such a bad thing. It can be a bit worrying for people who have to witness this reaction. As mentioned above you should never ignore nystagamus if you have no idea about what is causing it, because it could indicate something potentially dangerous occurring within your brain. With vertigo this symptom shouldn’t be too much of a problem and once the vertigo is under control then this should no longer be a problem for you.

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