WHAT IS DOUBLE VISION?

If you are seeing doubles of everything, you may have a condition known as diplopia or double vision.

WHAT CAUSES DOUBLE VISION?

There are two possible causes of double vision:

A failure of both eyes to coordinate together.

This condition refers to “strabismus” or crossed eyes.  In normal single vision, both eyes can aim accurately at the same object.  As a result, the images seen by both eyes are fused into a single picture by the brain.  If the eyes do not point at the same object, the images seen by each eye are different and cannot be fused.  The result is double vision, which may appear to the patient as blurry images, halos around and object or two distinct objects.

Uncorrected refractive error.

This is when an object being viewed is split into two images by a defect in the eye’s optical system.  Cataracts, uncorrected astigmatism or keratoconus may be the cause.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF DOUBLE VISION?

Double vision can be extremely confusing.  The brain acts to alleviate the visual discomfort by suppressing, or blanking out, one of the images.

In young children, if this suppression of vision persists over a continued length of time, it can lead to an impaired visual system.  The suppressed eye may get to the point where it is unable to see well, no matter which visual correction or appliance is used.  This condition is called amblyopia or lazy eye.  Without immediate and proper intervention at an early age, vision may never be restored.

HOW IS DOUBLE VISION TREATED?

Treatment of double vision depends on the underlying cause.  If the double vision is due to strabismus, management may involve:

  • Vision therapy
  • Prescription glasses with special lenses or prisms
  • Surgery on the eye muscles
  • A combination of all three options

Therapy is aimed at re-aligning the strabismic eye without surgery and re-stimulating the part of the visual pathway to the brain that is not working correctly.  If the double vision is due to the presence of cataracts, referral for possible cataract surgery will be undertaken.  If it is secondary to astigmatism, corrective lenses will be prescribed to alleviate the double vision.