Diplopia: Everything You Need To Know About Double Vision

Double vision, often known as diplopia, is a medical word for seeing things twice. Diplopia is a condition in which you perceive two pictures of the same item when you gaze at it.

Although double vision is generally a transitory problem, it can sometimes be an indication of more significant health problems. If you start seeing double, have your eyes checked by your healthcare practitioner immediately away, even if it’s due to something as simple as requiring new lenses.

Monocular And Binocular Diplopia

Your doctor will determine if your double vision is monocular (one eye) or binocular (both eyes) (both eyes). 

When you only use one eye at a time, you have monocular diplopia. It might resemble a shadow. 

When both eyes are open simultaneously, this is known as binocular diplopia. If you close one of your eyes, it goes away.

Monocular diplopia is more prevalent and typically not as problematic as binocular diplopia. The most common causes of binocular diplopia are misaligned eyes or other, more significant underlying problems.

How Does It Feel To See Double?

The type of diplopia a person has determines what they perceive.

• Horizontal: The two images are displayed side by side.
• Vertical: Two images are stacked on top of each other.
• Diagonal: The photos are offset from each other horizontally and vertically.

It’s easy to tell if your eyes aren’t aligned properly, resulting in double vision. However, it is sometimes not visible, and only appears when individuals shift their eyes in a specific way.

It is possible for someone to have double vision and be completely unaware of it. To eliminate mismatching images, the brain ignores images from one eye (suppression).

What Causes Binocular Double Vision?

A squint or strabismus is a common cause of binocular double vision.

When the eyes are not aligned properly, this problem develops. In children, strabismus is rather prevalent. However, double vision is not always the outcome of the disorder.

Strabismus is a condition in which the eyes stare in marginally different directions.

Multiple issues in the afflicted eye might cause these problems.

• Eyes are paralyzed or weak, with limited mobility, or they are overly powerful or hyperactive, with anomalies in the nerves regulating the eye muscles.
• People who had a squint as a youngster may experience a recurrence later in adulthood. 
• Treatment for a squint can sometimes result in double vision. This occurs due to the brain reducing information from one of the eyes to prevent double vision.

What Causes Monocular Double Vision?

Monocular double vision occurs when one eye is covered but not the other.

Double vision in one eye is less common than double vision in both eyes.

The following circumstances or vice versa can cause monocular double vision:

• Astigmatism is a condition in which the cornea, or the transparent layer at the front of the eye, is formed unevenly. Instead of being perfectly round like a basketball, the cornea with astigmatism has two curves on the surface, akin to a football.
• It is called dry eye when the eye does not produce enough tears or dries out too rapidly.
• Keratoconus is a degenerative eye disease in which the cornea thins and becomes cone-shaped.
• Anomalies of the retina: In macular degeneration, the center of a person’s field of vision steadily fades away, and swelling might occur, causing double vision in one eye.
• Cataracts: Cataracts can occasionally result in one eye having double vision.

What Are The Symptoms Of Diplopia?

You may also notice if you have a double vision:

• One or both eyes may be affected. not lined up, such as a wandering eye or a cross-eyed expression
• When you move your eye, it hurts.
• Pain in the area surrounding your eyes, such as around the temples or brows
• Headache
• Nausea
• Weakness in the eyes or elsewhere
• Eyelids that droop

Diagnosis Of Diplopia

Double vision that is recent or has no obvious reason might be dangerous.

To figure out what has caused your diplopia, your doctor will most likely employ a combination of tests. They may use blood tests, a physical examination, or imaging tests such as a CT scan or an MRI.

Monocular Double Vision Treatment

Treatment options vary based on the cause of monocular double vision and may include:

• Corrective glasses or contact lenses may frequently counterbalance the curvature and rectify the path of incoming light into the eye in the case of astigmatism.

• Laser surgery includes the use of a laser to reshape the cornea.

• Surgery is typically the best choice for cataracts. The surgical surgery eliminates the clouding, which is the source of double vision. Infection, discomfort, and even persistent hazy or double vision are all possible complications, although they may typically be resolved with quick treatment.

• The eyes might become irritated and painful if they do not produce enough tears or dry out too rapidly. You may have double vision as a result of this. Symptoms are often relieved with a prescription for tear replacement eye drops.

Treatments For Double Vision In Both Eyes

The therapy for binocular vision differs depending on the reason. The following are some of the treatments:

• Using spectacles
• Eye workouts 
• Using an opaque contact lens 
• Using an eye patch 
• Surgery to adjust the location of the eye muscles

Amblyopia Doctor’s Message

It can be frightening when anything is wrong with your eyes, especially if you have double vision. Diplopia is nearly often a temporary problem, even though it might be an indication of something more serious. Never take your sight for granted, though. Contact your healthcare practitioner straight away if you detect changes in your eyesight or if anything doesn’t seem right.