What Is Horner Syndrome? Important Information

Horner syndrome is an unusual disorder, known as oculosympathetic paralysis. It affects the nerves of the eye and face. Because of this syndrome, the pupil in the affected part of the face contracts. The eyelid falls off and sweating on this side of the face is reduced.

In some situations, doctors may not discover the underlying pathology. In this case, the syndrome is difficult to treat because treating the root cause is what could restore normal nerve function.

You need to keep in mind that Horner syndrome can occur in people of any age. In addition, as mentioned earlier, it is a rare disease.

Horner syndrome

Why does it appear?

To understand why Horner syndrome occurs, we need to look at the workings of a number of nerve fibers, such as sweat-related fibers, pupils, and muscles around the eyes. They start from the brain called the hypothalamus and go to the face and eyes. If the pathway of these nerve fibers is affected, then Horner syndrome occurs.

The path that these nerve fibers take is very complex. From the brain, they descend to the spinal cord, exit at chest height, and return upward through the neck, near the carotid artery. Then they enter the skull and reach inside the eye.

Damage to these nerve fibers can be caused by the following:

There are some cases in which Horner syndrome develops at birth. This condition can cause a lack of color and pigmentation in the iris. Although this syndrome is rare, it is estimated that the congenital variant affects 1 in 6,000 births.

Horner syndrome, depending on the location and how the underlying condition occurs, can be classified into four different ways. Therefore, there is central, preganglionic, postganglionic and congenital Horner syndrome.

Symptoms of Horner syndrome

If Horner syndrome develops in children, there are a number of characteristic symptoms that you may notice. The iris of the affected eye becomes lighter in color, especially in children under one year.

In addition, the affected part of the face never turns red. The baby’s face should turn red naturally due to physical exertion, emotional reactions or heat. However, in the case of Horner syndrome, this does not happen.

Diagnosis and treatment of Horner syndrome

The treatment, as mentioned above, depends on the original cause of the disorder. There is no specific treatment for Horner syndrome. Doctors will determine treatment once they identify the cause.

It is worth mentioning that when you suffer from this syndrome, the eyelid falls only slightly. This is the biggest obstacle to the patient’s daily life. In addition, there are usually no complications. Complications that can occur are often related to the root cause of the syndrome or the treatment itself.