Double Vision

Double Vision Causes

Many different conditions can lead to double vision. It can occur in one or both of your eyes depending on the underlying cause.³ ⁴

Double vision affecting both eyes (binocular)

Binocular double vision can be a result of problems in the muscles, nerves or brain. It usually happens because your eyes aren’t working together. Causes can include: ⁵

Strabismus: Crossed eyes due to problems with the eye muscles.
Diabetes: a disease that causes high blood sugar that can damage the nerves potentially resulting in vision loss.

Other less common conditions that may cause double vision include nerve damage, cranial nerve issues, myasthenia gravis, graves’ disease or brain issues.

If you see one image as higher than the other, then this is called vertical diplopia. If the images repeat side by side, it is called horizontal diplopia.

Double vision affecting one eye (monocular)

Monocular double vision is often due to a physical problem in the affected eye. These can include:

Keratoconus: when your cornea (the clear covering or your eye) gets thinner and changes shape.
Astigmatism: where your cornea isn’t a perfect shape so it doesn’t focus properly.
Cataracts: a common condition where a buildup of protein in your eye covers your lens (the opening of your eye that controls and focuses the light that enters your eye) blocking your vision.
Dry Eyes: where the eyes don’t produce enough tears to lubricate the eyes.
Pterygium: a rare, non-cancerous growth on the tissue that covers your eyelid and eyeball (conjunctiva).
Ill-fitting glasses or contact lenses that distort your vision.

Double Vision Diagnosis

You should visit your optometrist for an eye exam even if it comes and goes, or you are only experiencing temporary double vision. It’s especially important to have it checked out if you are experiencing sudden double vision or double vision for the first time.

Diagnosing double vision is relatively straightforward. We will talk to you about your symptoms and vision and do some simple eye tests.

Diagnosing the cause of double vision can be harder to pinpoint. We will ask questions about your personal and family medical history, as well as any recent changes in your health. Whether you have vertical double vision or horizontal double vision can also be useful to help determine the cause of your symptoms⁶. If you only have double vision in one eye, you may not need any further tests. If you have binocular diplopia, we may refer you to an ophthalmologist for further tests and treatment.⁷

Double Vision Treatment

The treatment for your double vision will depend on the cause of your condition. The most common treatments involve correcting your vision with glasses or special lenses. You might also be given an eye patch as a temporary solution while you wait for other treatments to take effect. Eye exercises can be an effective treatment to help strengthen weak muscles. For some health conditions, medicines can help to treat or control the progress of the disease. Other conditions may need to be treated with surgery, for example pinched muscles, cataracts, or other underlying health conditions.

Are you struggling with double vision?

It’s always best to get these things checked,
and our expert team are on hand to help.

Book an eye test

Type in 2 or more characters for results. When autocomplete results are available, use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gesturesNo results found, use down to share your current location