DIPLOPIA (Double Vision)

• Images may appear to overlap each other or may appear adjacent to each other.
  • May differ depending on direction of gaze or with head turning or tilting.
• It is critical to determine if diplopia is monocular or binocular.
  • Monocular – double vision is caused by a condition within one or both eyes and is not corrected when one eye is covered.
  • Binocular – eyes are misaligned; Each eye sees a single image when one eye is covered, but when both eyes are open, the brain perceives two adjacent images.

DIAGNOSIS

• Physician may do/request:
  • History & Physical Exam
  • Specialized imaging
    • Topography, MRI, etc.

RECOMMENDED MEDICATIONS

• Monocular diplopia – problems with the processing of light
  • Refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) – glasses or contact lenses
  • Dry eye – artificial tears and/or tear duct plugs
  • Cataracts (clouding of the natural lens) – surgery
• Binocular diplopia – misalignment of the eyes due to life-threatening conditions
  • aneurysms, strokes, trauma, and cancers
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Eye muscle damage or compression
    • Thyroid disease, orbital inflammations, vascular disease
  • Fractureof the orbital bones
• Sometimes the cause is relatively harmless,
  • Fatigue
  • Convergence insufficiency
    • Inability to align the eyes when focusing on a near object; harmless; corrected with glasses with prisms