What is nystagmus?

• A. Rhythmic involuntary eye movements that can be congenital or due to cerebellum or inner ear dysfunction.
• B. Reducing intraocular pressure.
• C. Painful red eye with discharge.
• D. Loss of accommodation.

Answer: (A)

Nystagmus is rhythmic, involuntary eye movement. It often has a slow drift in one direction followed by a rapid corrective movement in the opposite direction, and it can be horizontal, vertical, rotary, or a combination. It may be present at birth (congenital) or arise later from problems in the cerebellum or the inner-ear vestibular system, which normally help keep gaze stable during head movement. This pattern is distinct from other eye conditions: reducing intraocular pressure targets glaucoma, a painful red eye with discharge suggests inflammatory or infectious eye disease, and loss of accommodation refers to a focusing problem, not rhythmic eye movements.