Seeing double can significantly impact your quality of life.
Find out what causes double vision and how eye doctors can help.
Double vision, clinically termed diplopia, is characterized by seeing one object as two separate or overlapping images. These images may appear side by side or one on top of the other.
Each year, 850,000 doctors visits are attributed to double vision.
Important Note: If you have recently sustained a head injury, and are now suffering from double vision, seek emergency medical attention, as this can be a sign of a serious condition that requires prompt treatment.
Double vision can be monocular, affecting one eye, or binocular, affecting two eyes — and depending on the underlying cause, may be a fleeting sensation or longer lasting problem.
What causes binocular double vision?
If closing of either eye relieves your double vision, you are likely suffering from binocular double vision, the most common form of double vision.
Binocular double vision is only noticed when both eyes remain open, and is most often caused by an eye turn (strabismus) or a binocular vision condition called convergence insufficiency (CI).
Fortunately, there are successful treatment options for these conditions to relieve double vision.
1. Strabismus
Strabismus is also known as an eye turn, squint or wall eye, and is one of the most common causes of binocular double vision in children, affecting up to 1 in 20 of all children.
Strabismus occurs when the eyes are misaligned and one eye turns in, out, up or down, resulting in the appearance of two different images of the same object.
2. Convergence insufficiency
Convergence insufficiency (CI) is an eye muscle weakness and occurs when the two eyes are unable to work in coordination to produce a clear single image.
Double vision from CI generally surfaces during times of stress or excessive fatigue.
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Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you if you ever experience double vision.
What causes monocular double vision?
Monocular double vision is when you close one eye and you still experience double vision from the open eye.
Monocular double vision is less common, but can occur when one of the following eye conditions affects just one of the eyes:
When is double vision an emergency?
Seek immediate medical attention for any sudden onset of double vision, as this can signal a serious health condition that requires prompt treatment.
A sudden onset of double vision can occur when the ocular nerves or muscles that control eye movement are affected by an underlying condition, such as:
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury
- Brain swelling
- Brain tumor
- Brain aneurysm
- Complications following laser refractive surgery
- Cranial nerve palsy
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Diabetes
- Myasthenia gravis
- Multiple sclerosis
Can double vision disappear on its own?
In most cases, double vision does not disappear on its own.
Temporary double vision can occur with extreme fatigue, excessive alcohol consumption, certain drugs such as benzodiazepines and opioids, or as a side effect of certain seizure medications.
In some cases, double vision may disappear on its own as the brain begins to actively ignore the visual information coming from the affected eye. This phenomenon, called suppression, causes a mistaken belief that there is no real cause for concern, and can put you at risk of further complications, such as a lazy eye or strabismus, if an eye doctor is not consulted.
Only an eye doctor can accurately diagnose the cause of your double vision, so it is best to consult with your eye doctor if you encounter any type of double vision.
How is double vision treated?
Double vision can be treated by resolving the underlying problem. In some cases, vision therapy and/or prism lenses may be prescribed, while in other cases, a surgical procedure to realign the eyes may be required.
When double vision is caused by a medical condition, the condition itself will require treatment in order to eliminate the visual effects.
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Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you if you ever experience double vision.
Double vision (diplopia) is characterized by seeing one object as two separate or overlapping images.
Seek immediate medical attention for any sudden onset of double vision, as this can signal a serious health condition that requires prompt medical treatment.
