Ophthalmoplegia (กล้ามเนื้อตาอ่อนแรง, which is the term in Thai) is a type of paralysis where the eye muscles get weakened. To hold the eye in place and control the eye movement, there are a total of six muscles required. If one or more of these muscles get weak, it is referred to as ophthalmoplegia. Ophthalmoplegia is mainly classified in two types- chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia and internal ophthalmoplegia.
Causes Of Ophthalmoplegia
This is a condition that might be congenital, which means that this might be present from birth. There is also a possibility that you might develop it later in your life. When there is disruption caused at a time when the messages are being sent from the eye to the brain, ophthalmoplegia is caused. Internuclear ophthalmoplegia is mostly caused by trauma, multiple sclerosis or infarction. External ophthalmoplegia is caused when there is some kind of disruption in the muscles. This might also be Graves’ disease or Kearns-Sayre syndrome.
List Of Some Of The Other Causes Include:
- Thyroid disease
- Infection
- Migraines
- Brain injury
- Stroke
- Brain tumour
This Is How Ophthalmoplegia Is Diagnosed
To diagnose whether Ophthalmoplegia is caused, a physical examination has to be conducted. This will help in testing the movements of the eye. Then an MRI or CT scan might be conducted. This will help the doctors to understand the condition of the eye better. You might also be required to do some blood tests that will help you out if this is caused by some other condition like thyroid disease. If you want, you can also refer to an eye specialist or a neurologist for this kind of test.
Treatment Of Ophthalmoplegia
The treatment of this particular diseases will depend on several factors. Some of these factors include the type, symptoms, and also the actual cause of this particular disease. There are also certain children who are born with this condition. These children learn to adjust to this particular condition and they might not face any kind of vision problems. The adults can also deal with this condition using some special glasses. They might also have to wear an eye patch. This patches prevent the individuals from double vision and they are able to get normal vision. There are also certain cases where treating migraine can also lead to improvised results in the people suffering from ophthalmoplegia.
Preventing Ophthalmoplegia
Ophthalmoplegia is normally occurs as a symptom of any other health condition. If you however visit the eye doctor at regular intervals, this disease might get detected earlier. Even if your vision is normal, you should visit the eye specialist at regular intervals. There are some very delicate muscles present in the eyes. These muscles’ functioning depends on the proper functioning of the healthy vascular as well as the nervous systems.
Conclusion
The primary cause of your ophthalmoplegia will direct influence prognosis. If there are certain Genetic and mitochondrial diseases, stroke or genetic syndromes, or if there is a history of vascular disease, it might change your outlook to a great extent. It is, therefore, important for you to first find out, then address, and finally treat the actual cause of your ophthalmoplegia and doing this will help you to get the best results.
