Double Vision
Diplopia, or double vision, is the perception of 2 images of a single object. If you can close one eye and there are still 2 images (or more) this is monocular diplopia. Monocular diplopia can be caused by cataracts, corneal irregularities (keratoconus, scarring, etc), and refractive error (astigmatism). If you can get rid of the double vision by closing one eye, then binocular diplopia exists. Binocular Diplopia suggests disconjugate alignment of the eyes. Causes of binocular diplopia in adults include cranial nerve palsies, myasthenia gravis, thyroid eye disease, trauma, and multiple sclerosis.
Treatment of double vision depends on the etiology. You should be seen at Phoenix Ophthalmologists for a thorough eye examination to assess eye movements and rule out all the various etiologies for this condition. Often surgery is not necessary and the diplopia will resolve with conservative therapy (ie patching, prisms, observation, etc), but Dr. Van Buren should evaluate you for potentially life threatening conditions like tumors, aneurysms, and stroke that may initially manifest as diplopia.
