Diplopia Causes

How do you know that everything around you is beautiful or unsightly? Whenever you see something nice, why do you have an expression of happiness on your face? And if you come across something undesirable why do you tend to turn your head the other way? What is this that enables us to see the things around us in their original form? It is the eyes, the most beautiful but sensitive organs in the human body. The eye, which seems like a simple organ is actually a complex orchestra of a number of parts, which work in an orderly manner to provide vision. The parts of the eye are the cornea or the pupil, the retina, the muscles which support the eye and its rotation, and finally the ocular nerves, which transmit information from the cornea to the brain. There are several disorders that can affect the eye, since they are exposed the most to the external environment. One such eye problem is diplopia, also known as double vision. The word diplopia is taken from the Greek terms diplous, that means 'double' and ops, which translates as 'eye' or 'vision'. If any of the parts are affected due to some infection or trauma, it can lead to double vision. Monocular diplopia causes double vision in one eye, which may affect the clarity of vision in an individual..

Causes of Diplopia

Normally when we open and close our eyes, we see everything in a single spectrum and clearly. But people who are victims of diplopia may see double of everything in a haze. The individual may perceive that there are two objects while in reality there is only one. This can be quite distressing and serious at the same time. Diplopia or double vision symptoms may include unclear or blurred vision, headaches, pain in the eyes, experiencing weakness in the eye region and drooping or swollen eyelid.

• The presence of infections in the eye or the infection that may spread to the eye is one of the leading causes foe this eye defect. Infections and disorders like shingles (herpes zoster), dry eye and astigmatism etc., which may affect the cornea can make a person see double.
• Graves' disease, which is caused due to the malfunctioning of the thyroid gland is one of the reasons for experiencing vertical diplopia. An individual having vertical diplopia may have the feeling that a single object is placed twice on top of one another.
• Some of the causes for double vision are the presence of eye deformities like irregular shape of the cornea or retina, misalignment of the eyes (which can also be due to genetic disorder), cataracts, where a thin membrane grows over the cornea etc.
• In some cases, the presence of disorders in the brain can also alter the vision of a person. Stroke, brain hemorrhage, aneurysm and brain tumors, which can damage the ocular nerves in the brain are a few other causative factors for diplopia.

Diplopia Treatment

If you are experiencing double vision in either or both the eyes for a long period of time, then it is must be your top priority to consult an ophthalmologist since suffering from diplopia may be an indication of some underlying health disorder. Before the treatment, the doctor may give the individual a thorough examination, evaluating the previous medical history of the patient and the reason for experiencing double vision. Once all the diagnosis is done, then the doctor may administer treatment. In case of any eye infection, then the doctor may prescribe antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications to ward off the infection, Eye drops may also be prescribed to expel any debris lodged in the eye. The patient may also be told to practice some eye exercises in order to improve the quality of vision. In some cases, the doctor may also opt for laser eye surgery to permanently correct the defect.

This eye condition can be also corrected with the help of eyesight improvement surgery. Timely medical intervention can prevent permanent damage to the eyes, which may even result in total blindness, which may be irreversible. It is also necessary to take proper eye care post surgery to avoid any complications. Eat nutritious to have a healthy vision. Take care!