Why does my son keep dropping his head and swaying his head left to right while watching TV?
JAN 20, 2013
Question:
Why does my son keep dropping his head and swaying his head left to right while watching TV?
Answer:
When a person adopts an unusual head posture because of an eye problem, it is to accomplish one of two things: to improve vision or to eliminate double vision. The two most common reasons a child will adopt a head posture to improve vision are nystagmus (constant movement of the eyes) and uncorrected refractive error (need for glasses or a change in glasses). When double vision is the problem, the patient usually has some form of strabismus or eye misalignment. An ophthalmologist will be able to determine the cause and make treatment recommendations. While the problem you describe is probably due to one of these or some other eye issue, sometimes other non-eye issues are the cause, such as reduced hearing in one ear or tight neck muscles.