Also known as oscillating or swinging vision, oscillopsia is a disorder of the eye. People suffering with this condition report that objects appear to move back and forth across their field of vision, as well as up and down. The effect of this unusual perception of objects can lead to dizziness along with mild to severe nausea.
One of the more common causes of oscillopsia has to do with some sort of injury or disease that has a negative impact on proper neurological function. For example, a severe head injury may disrupt neural pathways and lead to the jerky movements that result in the sense of objects jumping about the range of vision. Tumors or the appearance of multiple sclerosis can also result in the development of swinging vision. If the visual cortex is impaired due to the presence of toxins in the body, oscillating vision may also occur.
It is important to note that people suffering with the condition may experience one type of movement of objects, or several different types at one time. People with vertical oscillopsia may find that objects tend to move up and down, while people who see objects move back and forth may be diagnosed with horizontal swinging vision. In general, patients who experience multiple forms of movement tend to exhibit more feelings of disorientation and have trouble with vertigo as well as experiencing a constant sense of nausea that may lead them to curtail normal activities.
Oscillopsia treatment varies greatly depending upon the underlying reason for the development of the condition. Once a diagnosis of the cause is confirmed, treatment of that underlying condition can commence. As the treatments progress, the dizziness and nausea begin to fade, and the individual notices that objects don’t seem to move around the field of vision as regularly as they once did. In some cases, the symptoms move from constant to intermittent, then finally fade altogether.
Because oscillopsia can be an early warning sign of several severe health issues, it is important to see a doctor as soon as the problem develops. Doing so will make it easier to obtain a diagnosis and begin treatments while the underlying cause is in its earlier stages. The sooner that the reason for the swinging vision is identified and treated, the sooner a patient will see a decrease in the seemingly constant movement of objects along the range of vision and be able to get back into a normal routine.