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The Treatment Of Double Vision And Why It Is A Very Serious Condition

Monday, December 29, 2014 @ 08:12 PM
Author: Amit Mathur

Double_Vision

Double vision, as the name suggests, is an eye condition where an individual sees two images when he or she is looking at one. The images can appear to be side by side or they can appear as if one is on top of the other. In some instances, people with this condition experience it when looking towards a particular direction. They can experience it for a while before their normal vision kicks back, and some can even experience this condition permanently. Some people suffer from double vision owing to complications in one eye while in others it results from complications in both.

It is easy for an adult to explain that he or she is experiencing double vision as soon as it appears; however, in small children the detection is not as easy. You can, however, detect the presence of the condition if you find a child closing one eye to see better, squinting to the point of closing his or her eyes when looking at something, or tilting his or her head away from the direction of the object he or she is looking at.

Double vision is in three forms

1.        Physiological double vision – The double vision here occurs on objects on the background, the ones that an individual is not focusing on. The brain usually corrects this type of double vision, and an individual can live without facing any negative challenges.

2.        Binocular double vision – Here both of the patient’s eyes do not work properly. When either of the eyes is covered, the patient is able to see clearly.

3.        Monocular double vision – Here is where one eye is affected, resulting in double vision in one eye. The slight separation between the two images can be very disturbing, and covering the defective eye will allow an individual to see clearly.

How do people get double vision?

The eye has many parts, and each part depends on the others to function properly. If there is a section of the eye that is not working properly, then the likelihood of getting double vision is high. Here are some of the most common causes of the condition:

  • Problems with the brain

The brain is responsible for interpreting all the signals from the eye, and a problem with the section responsible for visual interpretation will likely lead to double vision. A person who has suffered a brain tumor, bleeding within the brain resulting from trauma, or serious headaches is likely going to experience double vision at some point.

  • Problems with the eye muscles

Muscles within the eye cause it to move, making it easy to focus on objects with minimal effort. However, if one eye develops muscle problems it will not move and work as efficiently as the other eye, and this will usually lead to double vision. Several eye illnesses and conditions can lead to eye muscle complications as well.

  • Problems with the eye nerves

The nerves within the eye can develop problems that can lead to double vision, problems that have a connection with the eye muscles and different eye diseases. Some of the common conditions that affect the nerves and lead to double vision include diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome.

  • Problems with the lens

The most common problem with the lens that leads to double vision is the presence of cataracts. Depending on whether an individual has cataracts on one or both eyes, the double vision will be evident in either one or both eyes. The good news here is that cataracts are curable.

  • Problems with the cornea

If an individual’s cornea has an abnormal surface, he or she is likely to experience double vision. The irregular surface of the cornea distorts the light entering the eye and this can be due to infections, excessive dryness, or scars on the cornea. Usually, corneal complications lead to double vision on one eye.

Reasons why double vision is a very serious condition

Double vision is not always considered a life threatening condition, though in some cases, it can lead to serious accidents. An individual with double vision would not make a good driver because that could be a recipe for an accident. Furthermore, a person suffering from double vision would not fit into professions that require precision and accuracy, except in situations where he or she has gone through an eye correction procedure.

Since double vision rarely affects an individual without an underlying condition, the underlying condition is what is highly dangerous. Double vision can be an indication that an individual has a blood clot in the eye, the presence of an aneurysm, a thyroid disease, cancer, a brain tumor, an underlying injury etc.

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