What Causes Double Vision?

The first thing to determine when you think you have double vision is to see if it goes away when you cover one eye. If it does, then you have true double vision or what is called diplopia. If it does not, then you have monocular diplopia which has a different cause.

Monocular diplopia is often caused by a problem in your cornea or the lens in your eye. Double vision that is only when both eyes are open is coming from a problem with the eye muscles.

Many times true double vision is happening due to the eye muscles getting weaker as we age. We call this a decompensating phoria. However, double vision can also be coming from a problem with the nerves that control the eye muscles. These cranial nerves can be affected by head trauma, diabetes, thyroid conditions, autoimmune conditions, Lyme disease, and a host of other neurological problems. It is important to work with your primary care doctor to rule out any systemic causes of the double vision.

How do we treat your double vision?

The doctors at the Neuro Visual Centers are experts on using aligning prismatic lenses to relieve your double vision. We use very precise methods to measure the double vision at different distances to determine the best correction for your problem. Most patients can function well with appropriate prismatic correction utilizing the proper lens design.