Aa
Hey Quix........
What's the difference between Opsoclonus and Oscillopsia?????
I suffer with Bouncy Eyes???? Yet my doctor just tells me it's muscle related :( I have it daily - all day but worse at times! Would really love to know what it is? It's like if I look to the left or right I can feel and hear this motion/bounce a couple of times, when I walk and try to focus a distance it's just mainly a blur!! Help??? X
Very in-depth answer!!!!!!!!
I bet you have a headache after that reply!
I was thinking at first that it could be a type of Nystagmus, but my eyes just don't move side to side, they move all over the place, like a couple of loose marbles in my head.
The reason I mentioned Opsoclonus is because of the fact he asked me if I had a "cold" when it occurred.........I read somewhere that Opsoclonus is sometimes brought on by a viral infection......hence the "cold"
Anyway, I really appreciate your response and hope to get a diagnosis from my Neuro soon.
I'll keep you informed!
Thanks a Bunch,
Mel
I bet you have a headache after that reply!
I was thinking at first that it could be a type of Nystagmus, but my eyes just don't move side to side, they move all over the place, like a couple of loose marbles in my head.
The reason I mentioned Opsoclonus is because of the fact he asked me if I had a "cold" when it occurred.........I read somewhere that Opsoclonus is sometimes brought on by a viral infection......hence the "cold"
Anyway, I really appreciate your response and hope to get a diagnosis from my Neuro soon.
I'll keep you informed!
Thanks a Bunch,
Mel
It does sound like you are describing nystagmus. When it happens in bed like that it is often due to BPPV. Benign (hah!) Positional Paroxysmal (Yeah!) Vertigo.
Did the neurologist say you had oscillopsia or opsoclonus? If so, you can ignore my whole discussion on nystagmus.
Opsoclonus is uncontrolled involutary movements of the eyes - up, down, side to side, rotational all over. What you would see is a mess!
Oscillopsia is when the eyes swing to and fro very very fast so you appear to see things oscillate or vibrate with an even, blurring rhythm
Nystagmus is a specific eye movement in which the eyes move in one direction and then "snap" back. If you whirl around and around (like on a rope swing - I used to love this sensation!) then stop suddenly your eyes seem to keep up the rotating for a few beats and you see the world move on around a little, then snap back into place, then repeat, each time becoming less. Remember that? Most kids like to do it. To me it looks like things are "batting back and forth." But the movement of the eyes to an observer has a slow component and then a faster snap back.
What is BPPV? (ALERT! Epic Disourse ahead!)
The main balance organ is in the middle ear. There are three fluid-filled rings called the semicircular canals. These rings are in the three main planes - horizontal, vertical, and frontal. As you move around or move your head, the fluid flows in these rings signalling the direction of movement to the brain. The way this happens is this. In each ring there are groups of tiny hairs sticking up into the fluid. Sitting atop these hairs are tiny little crystals called "otoliths." Yep! Ear rocks. As your head moves the weight of these crystal causes the hairs to sway back and forth and signal movement back to the brain.
Sometimes the little crystals come loose and float freely in the semicircular canal. When the head moves in the right way (into the right position) the crystal falls rapidly in the ring and causes a HUGE sensation of whirling or falling or a giant, fast movement. When it happened to me I felt like I had suddenly begun to fall at 100mph! Even knowing I was lying down didn't help and I would grab frantically at the bed. If I was standing and looked up when the sensation hit, I would "throw myself to the ground" actually trying to stop the perceived fall (which wasn't really happening).
The whirling sensation only lasts several seconds, but for several seconds after that you can see objects appearing to "bat" back and forth. Everyone uses different terms to liken what the sensation is. Then the room settles down an you feel very diagreeable for the next several hours.
The crystals can come loose spontaneously - it is common as we age. Or they can be knowed loose by a snap of the head, whiplash, a good bonk on the noggin, etc. I knew a woman who got struck in the head by a little peice of candy, but she saw it coming and reflexly snapped her head out of the way giving herself a minor whiplash injury & BPPV.
When you have BPPV you find that certain positions seem to bring it on. Sometimes it's only at night when you roll into the right position and awaken right in the middle of the whirling. Between attacks often you just feel a little unstable in space or spacey. The crystals often replace themselves. If they don't they can be treated almost 100% of the time by a series of rotational manuevers called the Epley Maneuvers. (BTW Dr. Epley is my personal vertigo physician :)) Untreated some people suffer periodically for decades.
Okay, now that I have gone on and on, if my description of BPPV sounds similar to what you're experiencing then look at the links below:
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/3400/3480.asp?index=4010&src=news
http://www.aliveandwell.org/html/the_bigger_picture/cursing_the_cure.html
If not, then explain to me again what you are going through and I'll try again
Quix
Did the neurologist say you had oscillopsia or opsoclonus? If so, you can ignore my whole discussion on nystagmus.
Opsoclonus is uncontrolled involutary movements of the eyes - up, down, side to side, rotational all over. What you would see is a mess!
Oscillopsia is when the eyes swing to and fro very very fast so you appear to see things oscillate or vibrate with an even, blurring rhythm
Nystagmus is a specific eye movement in which the eyes move in one direction and then "snap" back. If you whirl around and around (like on a rope swing - I used to love this sensation!) then stop suddenly your eyes seem to keep up the rotating for a few beats and you see the world move on around a little, then snap back into place, then repeat, each time becoming less. Remember that? Most kids like to do it. To me it looks like things are "batting back and forth." But the movement of the eyes to an observer has a slow component and then a faster snap back.
What is BPPV? (ALERT! Epic Disourse ahead!)
The main balance organ is in the middle ear. There are three fluid-filled rings called the semicircular canals. These rings are in the three main planes - horizontal, vertical, and frontal. As you move around or move your head, the fluid flows in these rings signalling the direction of movement to the brain. The way this happens is this. In each ring there are groups of tiny hairs sticking up into the fluid. Sitting atop these hairs are tiny little crystals called "otoliths." Yep! Ear rocks. As your head moves the weight of these crystal causes the hairs to sway back and forth and signal movement back to the brain.
Sometimes the little crystals come loose and float freely in the semicircular canal. When the head moves in the right way (into the right position) the crystal falls rapidly in the ring and causes a HUGE sensation of whirling or falling or a giant, fast movement. When it happened to me I felt like I had suddenly begun to fall at 100mph! Even knowing I was lying down didn't help and I would grab frantically at the bed. If I was standing and looked up when the sensation hit, I would "throw myself to the ground" actually trying to stop the perceived fall (which wasn't really happening).
The whirling sensation only lasts several seconds, but for several seconds after that you can see objects appearing to "bat" back and forth. Everyone uses different terms to liken what the sensation is. Then the room settles down an you feel very diagreeable for the next several hours.
The crystals can come loose spontaneously - it is common as we age. Or they can be knowed loose by a snap of the head, whiplash, a good bonk on the noggin, etc. I knew a woman who got struck in the head by a little peice of candy, but she saw it coming and reflexly snapped her head out of the way giving herself a minor whiplash injury & BPPV.
When you have BPPV you find that certain positions seem to bring it on. Sometimes it's only at night when you roll into the right position and awaken right in the middle of the whirling. Between attacks often you just feel a little unstable in space or spacey. The crystals often replace themselves. If they don't they can be treated almost 100% of the time by a series of rotational manuevers called the Epley Maneuvers. (BTW Dr. Epley is my personal vertigo physician :)) Untreated some people suffer periodically for decades.
Okay, now that I have gone on and on, if my description of BPPV sounds similar to what you're experiencing then look at the links below:
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/3400/3480.asp?index=4010&src=news
http://www.aliveandwell.org/html/the_bigger_picture/cursing_the_cure.html
If not, then explain to me again what you are going through and I'll try again
Quix
You're so funny!!
I've read about it, but to me, the descriptions sound the same, .........
What I've been experiencing has been...... at night in bed asleep, I'm awakened by an abrupt, scrambled, tumbling of my eyes, sometimes coupled with a sick nauseating feel, and I feel scared to death, like my heart is gonna jump out of my chest.
It's like my eyes just go crazy! I kept my eyes closed the first few times it happened, waiting for it to pass, but this past week when it happened again, I forced my eyes open and my vision was just bouncy, or squiggly....could not focus 'til my eyes got through doing their thing.......... VERY BIZZARE!!!!!!!
In day time, I just get vibration or wavey vision, very sporadic, may go weeks without it occuring.
When I described the visual symptoms to my Neuro, he looked perplexed, paused, and asked if I had a "cold" during the times that this occured, I told him "NO".
He didn't elaborate on what was actually going on, (well, he did mention Hemiplegic Migraine) just said he wanted me to have another MRI in July
(6 months since my last one) that's why I have been searching, trying to see if I can find a name for this.........
Maybe it's Nystagmus???????
Sorry if I'm asking too many questions!
Thanks,
Mel
I've read about it, but to me, the descriptions sound the same, .........
What I've been experiencing has been...... at night in bed asleep, I'm awakened by an abrupt, scrambled, tumbling of my eyes, sometimes coupled with a sick nauseating feel, and I feel scared to death, like my heart is gonna jump out of my chest.
It's like my eyes just go crazy! I kept my eyes closed the first few times it happened, waiting for it to pass, but this past week when it happened again, I forced my eyes open and my vision was just bouncy, or squiggly....could not focus 'til my eyes got through doing their thing.......... VERY BIZZARE!!!!!!!
In day time, I just get vibration or wavey vision, very sporadic, may go weeks without it occuring.
When I described the visual symptoms to my Neuro, he looked perplexed, paused, and asked if I had a "cold" during the times that this occured, I told him "NO".
He didn't elaborate on what was actually going on, (well, he did mention Hemiplegic Migraine) just said he wanted me to have another MRI in July
(6 months since my last one) that's why I have been searching, trying to see if I can find a name for this.........
Maybe it's Nystagmus???????
Sorry if I'm asking too many questions!
Thanks,
Mel
Ask your neuro to check you for BPPV anyway. It's hard to characterize exact motion of your own eyes. He just has to do the Hall-Pike Maneuver. If it were a viral labyrinthitis it wouldn't be limited to nighttime that way and wouldn't have the positional component. When the neuro (back in 1983 saw one of my BPPV attacks he said "Your eyes whirled." During the acute attack they do whirl. Then as the phenomenon passes it turnes to a more classic nystagmus . Also the nystagmus doesn't have to be side to side. Mine is. It can be rotational, vertical. whatever.
I'm still suspicious of BPPV. So there! Quix
I'm still suspicious of BPPV. So there! Quix
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Neurology Community
Top Neurology Answerers
Allentown, PA
ON
Queensland, Australia
Queen Creek, AZ
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease
