Diplopia or double vision is a condition in which one can see two images of the same object or person. It can develop in one eye or even both eyes; however, when it develops in both eyes, the severity of the illness is more serious than having it in just one eye. There are different types of diplopia and various reasons for the condition to develop, let’s understand the illness in detail.

Symptoms
Apart from seeing two of everything, there are some other symptoms that can be noticed with this illness. These include pain when moving the eyes, pain around the eyes near the temples and even eyebrows, nausea, headache, one or both the eyes not lining up or the cross-eyed look, droopy eyelids, and weakness in the eyes.

Causes and types of double vision

Cornea damage
One of the reasons why one may experience double vision is due to cornea damage. This happens when the double vision is only in one eye, which is called monocular diplopia. This could occur because the cornea in the affected eye is uneven. The damage could be due to dryness, scars, infections like herpes or shingles, and also because of keratoconus – a condition that occurs when the cornea becomes cone-shaped.

Muscle weakness
When double vision is in both eyes, it is called binocular diplopia. One of the reasons for this type of diplopia is muscle weakness. The muscles control the eye movement and also help keep the eyes aligned with each other, but when the muscles are weak, these simple functions are not performed and the eyes do not move in sync with each other. So, when one looks in the direction that is controlled by the weak muscle, they can see double vision. Common reasons for muscle weakness include having a problem with the nerves around the muscles or Graves’ disease – a condition that affects the eye muscles. This condition can also cause vertical diplopia, which means the visions are on top of the other.

Nerve issues
There are several conditions that could cause issues with the nerves, which are unable to carry information from the brain to the eyes. These conditions include multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and diabetes. All these conditions in some way or another affect the nerves that help eye movements and muscle movements around the eyes.

Brain complications
Since the brain is the organ through which information about vision is sent to the eyes, it is understood that any issues in the brain could also lead to double vision. Some of the reasons why this condition can develop are strokes, tumors, migraine headaches, aneurysms, and also increased pressure from any type of injury or bleeding or infection in the brain.

Treatment for sudden double vision
Once the cause of the double vision is identified, a related treatment can be prescribed by the doctor to help manage the condition. If the muscles are the reason for the double vision, the doctor may go ahead with surgery. Moreover, if diabetes is one of the causes of double vision, one may be prescribed treatment methods to control blood sugar levels. Similarly for each of the causes and types of illness, a proper treatment is recommended. Further, there is no specific way to prevent this condition, but one can always be careful of avoiding any injuries to the head or the eye and lead a healthy and safe lifestyle.