Blind Black Eyed Peas singer has nystagmus; understand what the problem is – 05/12/2022

Fans of the Black Eyed Peas were shocked by a post on social media that revealed that apl.de.ap, the group’s singer, is legally blind. The artist has suffered from a condition called nystagmus since he was born.

It is a continuous, involuntary movement of the eyes caused by an abnormal development of vision. The problem can make it difficult to see clearly.

Nystagmus, however, is not a disease in itself. “It is a sign of another disease that causes low vision or blindness”, explains Hallim Feres Neto, ophthalmologist member of the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology and director of Prisma Visão. “Nystagmus causes the eyes to move nonstop, like a pendulum, sometimes very slow and sometimes very fast, it’s a consequence of low vision.”

The doctor says that the condition can be congenital, as in the case of the singer of the Black Eyed Peas, or acquired due to some visual impairment. The problem is usually identified in the first few months of life. “The person can’t fix the look, so the eye can’t stay still, it’s always shaking,” he says.

Surgery

It is possible to alleviate the problem through eye muscle surgery, the same performed in cases of strabismus. Recently, apl.de.ap had a lens insertion procedure to relieve nystagmus.

“Surgery can be performed in cases where the patient has a specific position of the gaze and he manages to make the eyes stop moving”, explains Ana Letícia Fornazieri Darcie, an ophthalmologist specializing in strabismus at Hospital Japonês Santa Cruz. “It improves the appearance and function of the patient”, says the doctor.