Double Vision (Diplopia) or Ghost Images
If you start seeing double images when your eyes normally work well together, you should take it seriously. While double vision (also called diplopia) may be temporary, you should still visit your eye doctor to find out what’s going on.
Double Vision (Diplopia) Causes
Temporary episodes of double vision can happen for many reasons, including drinking too much alcohol or being overly tired. This type of short-term double vision is usually not cause for worry. But if the diplopia is long-lasting or keeps coming back, reasons for it can include:
- Stroke
- Head injury,
- Brain tumor,
- Brain swelling
- Brain aneurysm.
A head or brain injury, tumor, stroke or related condition can cause double vision that comes on suddenly. After examining you, your eye doctor may refer you to a specialist such as a neurologist or neurosurgeon for further testing and treatment.
How a child playing in the grass would look to someone with normal, clear vision. Ghost images and blurriness may mean you have diplopia. It’s important to visit your eye doctor to find out why it’s happening and what can be done about it. Corneal irregularities. Ghost images can be caused by such conditions as keratoconus (cone-shaped corneas) and corneal dystrophies (deterioration of the corneal structure).
These ghost images can be harder to manage. Many corneal irregularities can be helped when you wear special contact lenses or use dry eye treatments such as eye drops or punctal plugs. Some people with this condition may need surgery, such as a corneal transplant or Intacs implants. Your eye doctor can help you figure out the best treatment for your individual problems.
Dry eyes. Severe dry eyes, such as Sjogren’s syndrome, can cause ghost images due to insufficient or poor quality tears. Many people who suffer from dry eyes can be helped by eye drops (over-the-counter or prescription), punctal plugs, eye vitamins, lid hygiene techniques or a combination of all these treatments.
It’s very important to have a dry eye workup and treatment, if necessary, from an eye doctor who has an interest in this disorder and has kept up to date on the latest diagnosis and treatment methods.
Refractive surgery.
If you have had LASIK, PRK, or any refractive surgery to help you see better without glasses or contacts, you may experience some double or ghost imaging because of changes to your corneas. An irregular corneal surface, caused by the surgery itself or by dryness, may cause light rays to scatter instead of focusing properly.
This problem usually clears up within weeks or months. But you may need to use eye drops for a while. In some cases, a second laser vision correction procedure might be necessary.
Cataracts.
Cataracts may cause ghost images, usually in one eye only. This is because the clouding of the eye’s natural lens that sits behind the pupil can cause light rays to scatter in different directions, creating multiple but incomplete images, especially when you look at lights.
Cataract surgery usually will eliminate this ghost image problem. Cranial nerve palsies. Double vision also can be caused by paralysis or loss of coordination of one or more muscles that control the position and teaming of the eyes due to a cranial nerve palsy. Cranial nerve palsies can be caused by diabetes, head injury, tumor, multiple sclerosis, meningitis, high blood pressure, blockage in an artery or an aneurysm.
Most cranial nerve palsies go away without treatment when the condition that caused them improves. But some people may need vision therapy, surgery or special prism in eyeglasses to help with the double vision.
Very important: Always make sure you discuss and make decisions about your eye care based upon a formal appointment with your optician or doctor.
For more information please call us or visit
KOBRIN & MARTIN OPTOMETRISTS, SANDTON
Tel: 011 884 8413 | kobrinmartin@telkomsa.net
