What is Double Vision (Diplopia)? Causes and Treatment

The eye is one of the five sense organs in the body. Eye problems negatively affect daily life and the quality of life of the person. Diplopia (double vision), which occurs for various reasons, is among the serious eye problems. With the correct diagnosis, different treatments to be applied according to the root cause of diplopia enable the person to regain eye health.

What is Double Vision (Diplopia)?

Diplopia is the image of a single object horizontally, vertically or obliquely to each other. is an eye problem that causes it to see as two adjacent images. One of the images is paler. This image is called a "ghost image". People often confuse diplopia with blurred vision. Diplopia is common in adults, usually over the age of 60. Double vision is extremely common. More than 800,000 people a year apply to health institutions due to diplopia. While approximately 95% of patients receive outpatient treatment, 5% may require surgical intervention or inpatient treatment. Diplopia symptoms are also among the most common complaints in emergency departments. About 50,000 people go to the emergency room every year for double vision problems. Double vision is treated according to the underlying cause. It is usually a temporary, easily preventable problem. However, it should not be neglected, and an ophthalmologist should be consulted immediately when double vision starts.

What are the Types of Double Vision (Diplopia)?

There are two types of diplopia, monocular diplopia and binocular diplopia. There are two types of diplopia:

• Monocular diplopia: Monocular diplopia is less common than binocular diplopia. In this type of diplopia, vision problems are experienced only in the form of double vision in one eye. This eye is defined as the "bad eye" and the healthy eye as the "good eye". In monocular diplopia, when the patient covers his bad eye with his hand, the image quality returns to normal.
• Binocular diplopia: This type of vision problem is present in both eyes. This situation is called binocular vision. If double vision disappears when you close both eyes while having double vision problem, binocular double vision occurs. Binocular diplopia occurs when both eyes are open, so it may resolve when one eye is closed or closed.

Diplopia Symptoms >

Nausea, stomach discomfort

Drown eyelids (ptosis)

Pain with eye movements in one or both eyes

Dizziness, sudden loss of balance

Pain that can be seen even with small eye movements

What are the Causes of Double Vision (Diplopia)?

The eye creates an image of the environment. These messages to the brain combine to create a clear image with depth perception. thus the process of seeing takes place. Everything that prevents the eye from performing its vision correctly and clearly causes diplopia. Causes of binocular double vision:

• Diabetes
• Cranial nerve palsy, tumor
• Myasthenia gravis (immune Muscle weakness that develops due to the blocking of communication between nerves and muscles by the nervous system)
• Strabismus
• Brain aneurysms
• Occlusions in the brain sinus cavities or vessels

Causes of monocular diplopia:

• Astigmatism
• Corneal shape changes
• Cataract
• Dry eye syndrome
• Pterygium (eyeball attached to the cornea layer)
• Iris (colored part of the eye) abnormalities

Other causes:

• Proptosis (the natural part of one or both eyes) is coming out of its position)
• Vertigo (a disease caused by the inner ear that makes the person feel that the environment around them is spinning)
• Diabetes (glucose taken from food cannot be processed correctly and does not benefit the eyes)
• Meningitis (severe infections affecting the central nervous system.

What are the Causes of Temporary Double Vision?

Diplopia is usually temporary. Alcohol poisoning, anti-seizure medications such as benzodiazepines, overwork, head blows, sleep disturbances, fatigue, stress cause double vision. Remember that if correct, clear vision does not return quickly over time, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. . But If this change in the eyes occurs suddenly, emergency intervention may be required. When the source of this situation is not controlled, vision loss and life-threatening risk may occur. It is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible and begin appropriate treatment.

How to Diagnose Diplopia?

If you have double vision, your symptoms and vision experiences will help with the diagnosis. Although it is easy to diagnose diplopia in one or both eyes, it may be more difficult to identify the causes of diplopia. To diagnose diplopia, your ophthalmologist will listen to your symptoms and then perform a few simple tests and physical examinations. During the examination,

• Describe your symptoms and complaints fully to help your doctor decide which tests may be helpful.
• Tell your doctor if you have chronic diseases that may cause vision problems such as diabetes, thyroid or neurological disorders.
• Share this information with your physician if there is diplopia in family members.

may order some tests that can help find and identify possible causes of vision:

• Blood tests
• Eye movement tests
• Toxicity tests
• Blood glucose test
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• CT (computed tomography) scan
• Urine analysis
• Thyroid function tests

How is Diplopia Diagnosed in Children?

It is difficult to diagnose because children cannot distinguish whether the image they see is true or false. But children give some clues through their behavior: Physical signs of double vision in children include:

• Squinting to understand or clarify the image
• Covering one eye with one's hand
• Head to side turning sideways.

How to Treat Double Vision (Diplopia)

The treatment for double vision depends on what is causing the double vision. In most cases, double vision problems can go away when the underlying problem is treated. The most common treatments for diplopia include:

Treatment for Monocular Double Vision

• Astigmatism: double vision caused by astigmatism with the use of glasses or lenses flaws I It can prevent monocular double vision by correcting the passage of light into the eye.
• Laser surgery: Double vision can be treated by reshaping the cornea with laser surgery.
• Cataract: Cataract, which blurs vision and is one of the most common causes of double vision The best treatment option for surgery is surgery. Today, a person can get rid of the problem of double vision with a very easy operation. /li>
Binocular Double Vision TreatmentBinocular vision treatment varies depending on the cause of the double vision. Treatments include:
• Using glasses
• Using an eye patch
• Using contact lenses
• Surgical intervention to correct the position of the eye muscles
• Botox application
• Eye exercises

How to Prevent Double Vision (Diplopia)

Double vision There is no sure way to prevent the disorder. However, it is possible to protect eye health with some simple steps:

• Do not smoke
• Do not consume excessive alcohol
• Consume foods that are known to be beneficial for eye health, especially phosphorus containing foods
• Do not stare at the phone, television, computer, tablet screen for a long time. Make sure to rest your eyes by taking small breaks
• Wear a protective eyewear suitable for your work or sports activities
• Sleep regularly
• To have your eye examination every 1-2 years do not neglect
Double vision can occur due to problems with both visual organs and central nervous system structures. If you observe the existence of this problem in yourself or in your environment, it is recommended that you apply to health institutions and get support from specialist physicians.

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