Eye muscle testing is done to reveal restricted or abnormal eye movement.
Your ophthalmologist may also refer to eye muscle testing as extraocular movement testing or ocular motility testing.
Here’s what it’s possible for you to expect at your appointment.
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How Eye Muscle Testing Is Performed
The test itself is simple.
They will move the object up and down and side to side in an H-shaped pattern.
You are asked to follow the object with your eyes while keeping your head still.
In most cases, the condition is present from birth and can be a part of other developmental syndromes.
Nystagmus can be present constantly or exacerbated by certain eye movements.
If it’s severe enough, visual acuity will suffer as the eyes are constantly moving back and forth.
People with nystagmus can sometimes direct their head or eyes in a certain way that reduces symptoms.
This is called a null point.
Strabismus can be congenital (from birth) or developed later in life.
It can also cause double vision (see below).
Amblyopiabegins at a very young age when the eye is not stimulated or used properly.
Permanently decreased vision can occur.
Mechanical Restrictions
These are commonly found intraumatic injuries, such as a blow to the eye.
The bones that make up the floor of the eye orbit are thin.
Medical professionals always take double vision seriously as it can be a sign of neurological problems.
If you experience sudden-onset double vision, see a healthcare provider immediately.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Nystagmus?
National Institutes of Health.
Medline Plus.Eye Movement Disorders.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Amblyopia.
what is lazy eye?
Stanford Health Care.Causes of double vision.
National Institutes of Health.
Medline Plus.Extraocular Muscle Function Testing.
