Nystagmus, the medical term for unintentional eye movements, has many causes. Unintentional eye movements are are usually bilateral--most often go from side to side--but can also go up and down or rotational, in a circle. Unintentional eye movements may be congenital, present at birth or acquired later in life. unintentional eye movements can be an inherited condition; problems with the brain or inner ear also cause unintentional eye movements. Unintentional eye movements may worsen when a person is stressed or fatigued.
Brain Disorders
Several brain abnormalities can cause unintentional eye movements. In young people, head injury from motor vehicle accidents is a common cause of nystagmus, Medline Plus states. Stroke can cause unintentional eye movements in older adults. Diseases that affect the brain, like encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, brain tumors or multiple sclerosis, can also cause unintentional eye movements.
Congenital
Most cases of unintentional eye movements are congenital, Medline Plus states. Congenital nystagmus is usually mild and doesn’t worsen with age, although vision may be affected and can’t be corrected with glasses, the Ohio Lion’s Research Foundation (OLRF) states. About 1 in 1,500 people has congenital nystagmus, they report, with 50 percent of people affected also having esotropia, or crossed eyes. About one third of people with congenital nystagumus also have or develop amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, and another third have trouble with color vision. Many people with congenital nystagmus also shake or nod their heads. Congenital nystagmus may be difficult to diagnose before the age of 5 or 6 months, and affects about 10 percent of children with vision loss, the OLRF reports.
Drugs
Alcohol and drugs such as nicotine, dilantin and phenobarbitol, used to treat seizures, and lithium, used to treat bipolar disorder, are probably the most common causes of acquired unintentional eye movements, according to Medline Plus.
Ear Disorders
The inner ear is partly responsible for controlling eye movements. Inner ear abnormalities can cause “jerk nystagmus,” where the eyes drift slowly to one side and then snap back rapidly. This type of nystagmus can cause dizziness and vertigo--a sense that the room is spinning. Water in the ear, Meniere’s disease and labyrinthitis, an inflammation of the inner ear, are common causes of jerk nystagmus, according to All About Vision. Labyrinthitis can be caused by viruses or by medications such as salicylates (aspirin), antibiotics such as gentamycin or streptomycin, and quinine, R. Douglas Collins states in “Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care,” published in 2007. Cholesteatoma, a cyst in the middle ear, can also cause nystagmus. Damage to the auditory nerve from diabetes may also be associated with nystagmus.
Eye Disorders
Eye problems such as optic nerve degeneration, albinism, cataracts and glaucoma can cause unintentional eye movements. Astigmatism and nearsightedness are also sometimes associated with the disorder.
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