{"id":9600,"date":"2021-01-23T20:41:17","date_gmt":"2021-01-23T20:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=9600"},"modified":"2021-07-13T09:04:56","modified_gmt":"2021-07-13T09:04:56","slug":"third-nerve-palsy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/third-nerve-palsy\/","title":{"rendered":"Third Nerve Palsy"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>What is third nerve palsy?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Third nerve palsy, also called oculomotor palsy, occurs when the third cranial nerve becomes injured or diseased.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The third cranial nerve controls the actions of four <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-anatomy-external-parts-of-the-eye\/\">external eye muscles<\/a>. These muscles are responsible for turning the eye inward, moving the eye upward and downward, and rotating the eye downward and outward toward the ear.<\/p>\n<p>The third cranial nerve also controls pupil constriction, upper eyelid position and eye focusing abilities.<\/p>\n<p><b>As the third nerve controls many of the eye\u2019s muscles, palsy of this nerve can result in complete or partial paralysis of the eye muscles.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>A complete paralysis of the eye muscles generally leads to an outward and downward eye deviation, while a partial paralysis leads to an outward eye turn.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, a complete paralysis of the eye muscles typically results in a complete closure of the eyelid, while a partial paralysis usually results in a droopy eyelid.<\/p>\n<h2><b>What are the symptoms of third nerve palsy?<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/vision-and-brain-injuries\/double-vision-diplopia\/\">Double vision<\/a> (diplopia)<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/a-guide-to-eye-turns\/strabismus-crossed-eyes\/\">Eye misalignment<\/a> (strabismus)<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/eye-conditions\/ptosis-why-is-my-eyelid-drooping\/\">Droopy eyelid<\/a> (ptosis)<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/eye-conditions\/unequal-pupil-sizes-anisocoria\/\">Enlarged pupil<\/a> that does not react normally to light<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Tilted head posture to compensate for binocular vision difficulties<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you experience any of the above symptoms, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><strong>contact an eye doctor near you<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/vision-and-brain-injuries\/\">Vision and Brain Injuries<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find a Vision Therapy Eye Doctor Near You<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>What causes third nerve palsy?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Third nerve palsy may be congenital or acquired. While the cause of a congenital palsy may not be identifiable, an acquired palsy may result from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Birth trauma<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Head injury<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Infection<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Vaccination<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Migraine<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Brain tumor<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Aneurysm<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Diabetes<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Hypertension<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>How is third nerve palsy diagnosed?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>An eye doctor may be able to diagnose third nerve palsy, but may refer you to a neuro-ophthalmologist or neurologist for confirmation.<\/p>\n<p>A series of diagnostic tests, including a neurological exam and MRI or CT scan, will be performed in order to effectively identify a third nerve palsy.<\/p>\n<h2><b>How is third nerve palsy treated?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Unfortunately, treatment for congenital third nerve palsy has yet to be discovered.<\/p>\n<p>If the palsy is acquired, treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the condition.<\/p>\n<p>Surgery may be recommended if a tumor or aneurysm is pressing on the nerve, to relieve the pressure on the nerve and promote healing.<\/p>\n<p><i>To reduce or eliminate double vision and improve eye alignment, the following treatments may be recommended:\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/vision-therapy-faqs\/\">Vision therapy<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Patching one eye to improve binocular vision<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/what-are-prism-lenses\/\">Prism lenses<\/a> to reduce or eliminate double vision<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/a-guide-to-eye-turns\/strabismus-crossed-eyes\/strabismus-surgery\/\">Eye muscle surgery<\/a> to realign the eyes<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Eyelid surgery to correct the ptosis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Vision therapy is an effective treatment option for some patients with third nerve palsy, as it can help to improve eye movements and binocular vision.<\/p>\n<p><b>If you notice any sudden changes to your vision, especially double vision or an eye turn, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\">schedule an eye exam<\/a> as soon as possible.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/guide-to-vision-therapy-for-adults\/\">Guide to Vision Therapy for Adults<\/a><\/p>\n<p><i>The sooner fourth nerve palsy is diagnosed, the greater your chances of optimal treatment results.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Third Nerve Palsy, also called Oculomotor Palsy, occurs when the third cranial nerve becomes injured or diseased.<br \/>\nThe third cranial nerve controls the actions of four external eye muscles. As the third cranial nerve controls many of the eye\u2019s muscles and functions, palsy of this nerve can result in complete or partial paralysis of the eye.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1206,"featured_media":9601,"parent":1389,"menu_order":58,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[89,492,441,422,115,390,136],"class_list":["post-9600","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-brain-injury","tag-diplopia","tag-prism-lenses","tag-ptosis","tag-strabismus","tag-strabismus-surgery","tag-vision-problem"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Third Nerve Palsy - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/third-nerve-palsy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Third Nerve Palsy - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Third Nerve Palsy, also called Oculomotor Palsy, occurs when the third cranial nerve becomes injured or diseased. 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