I wear glasses all the time. I've needed them for as long as I can remember because I have severe myopia and nystagmus. Myopia, or nearsightedness, means that I can see things up close but have trouble seeing things far away. In my case, it’s quite severe, so without my glasses, even things that aren’t very far look blurry. Nystagmus is a condition that makes my eyes move involuntarily in a rapid, repetitive motion. This movement affects my ability to focus clearly and can sometimes cause my head to shake as my body tries to compensate for what my eyes are doing. I got my first pair of glasses when I was just two years old. Of course, at that age, I wasn’t interested in wearing them! But as I got older and started kindergarten, I realized that I needed my glasses to see properly and to keep up with my classmates.
When I was around one year old, my head would shake a lot. It was almost like those bobblehead toys, where the head moves up and down. My mom was very worried and thought it might be seizures, so she took me to a neurologist. They performed an EEG, or electroencephalogram, which is a test that records brain activity to check for signs of seizures. Thankfully, the EEG came back negative, meaning I wasn’t having seizures. The neurologist suggested an MRI to look for any structural issues in my brain, but when my mom found out that I would need to be sedated, she decided to wait.
It wasn’t until we saw an ophthalmologist that we finally got an answer. The ophthalmologist observed my eye movements and quickly realized that I had nystagmus, not seizures. He explained that nystagmus is common in children with Down syndrome and can make it difficult to focus on objects. The involuntary movement of my eyes was likely causing my head to shake as my brain tried to compensate for the instability in my vision.
To help manage my nystagmus, the ophthalmologist recommended using an eye patch. This was a common technique used to treat conditions related to eye movement and focus in young children. By wearing the eye patch over one eye, it encouraged my other eye to work harder and reduced the head bobbing over time. After about a year of consistent use, the eye patch significantly improved my head stability, and the bobbing stopped.
Early vision care is especially important for children with Down syndrome, as they are more prone to certain eye conditions, including myopia, nystagmus, and strabismus (crossed eyes). Regular visits to the ophthalmologist help catch these issues early, so corrective measures like glasses, eye patches, or vision therapy can be used to support healthy visual development. For children with nystagmus, glasses or contact lenses can sometimes help stabilize vision by focusing light more effectively. In some cases, surgical options may also be considered to reduce eye movement, though this isn’t common in young children.
Living with severe myopia and nystagmus has taught me the importance of my glasses. They help me participate in school, read, and do the things I love. Although I needed a bit of extra help with my vision, I’ve learned that having these conditions doesn’t stop me from exploring and enjoying the world around me. With the support of my family and doctors, I have everything I need to see clearly and thrive.
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