What Causes Double Vision?

Seeing double is a common problem, but the question of what causes double vision and how to treat it is not always so clear. At NeuroVisual Specialists of Florida, we are committed to helping you get to the cause of your eye issues and providing treatment to improve your quality of life.

What Causes Double Vision?

Double vision, or diplopia, can be a temporary issue or one brought on by a serious medical condition. It affects more than 800,00 people annually, with up to 50,000 of them visiting the emergency room because they are so worried about the condition. 

The causes of double vision often depend on whether you have a problem in one eye (monocular diplopia) or both eyes (binocular diplopia). There are several causes of double vision in one eye, including:

• Glasses or contacts that don’t fit properly
• Abnormalities of the iris
• Astigmatism
• Cataracts
• Dry Eye Syndrome

There are also several known causes of double vision that affect both eyes, such as:

• Misaligned eyes
• Brain aneurysms
• Strokes
• Cranial nerve problems

When Double Vision Treatments Don’t Work

Doctors might prescribe medications or surgery for your double vision, based on their diagnosis of the cause. But if those treatments don’t work, it is time to look at other possible causes and treatments.

Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD) and Vertical Heterophoria are two possible causes of double vision that are often overlooked.

What is Binocular Vision Dysfunction?

BVD is a condition in which your eyes are slightly misaligned. Routine eye tests only capture obvious misalignments. Doctors can miss BVD without specialized testing designed to catch subtle misalignments.

These misalignments cause your eyes to send different pictures to your brain. This causes heavy eye strain as your muscles struggle to achieve a single vision. Along with double vision, BVD can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and additional symptoms that are often attributed to other conditions.

What is Vertical Heterophoria?

Vertical Heterophoria is a type of BVD in which your eyes are misaligned vertically. It also leads to eye muscle strain and fatigue as they try to correct and send one image to the brain.

Treating BVD and Vertical Heterophoria To Correct Double Vision

At NeuroVisual Specialists of Florida, we use a non-invasive evaluation of your eyes to determine if your eye muscles are not properly aligned. If you are diagnosed with BVD or Vertical Heterophoria, we treat your double vision using specialized prism lenses. These lenses bend light in a way that lets both eyes see the same picture without straining. 

Prism lenses look just like regular glasses, and we craft them to correct your individualized alignment issue. We can build prims lenses into your current prescription if you already wear glasses. Up to 50% of our patients see a reduction in their symptoms right away, and between 70% to 80% report a reduction within a few months.

Learn More

If you have double vision, nausea, dizziness, or other symptoms of BVD or Vertical Heterophoria, visit our website to take our free test.  At NeuroVisual Specialists of Florida, we pride ourselves on the individual care necessary to get to the root of your double vision or other eye problems.