Diplopia is the medical term for double vision, which means seeing two images of a single object. The common and often temporary issue can affect one eye or both. More than 800,000 people a year, mostly older adults, visit a doctor or emergency room with double vision complaints. It only occasionally indicates a more serious health issue.
Diplopia can be caused by cataracts, strabismus, astigmatism, dry eyes, or other eye abnormalities. Eye fatigue or wearing the wrong glasses or contacts can also cause diplopia.
The main symptom is seeing two of the same objects. The visual disturbance can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. Patients may have pain when they move their eye or pain around the eye area. They may also experience headaches, nausea, droopy eyelids, or weakness in the eyelids.
A comprehensive eye exam will be performed, as well as several other tests that may be conducted to find out what is causing the diplopia. That may include a physical exam, blood test, or imaging test like a CT scan or MRI. Consider whether you’ve had any head injuries and try to notice the circumstances during which you experience double vision.
Identifying the cause of double vision is critical to determining the treatment. Sometimes double vision may get better on its own, but about 70 percent of cases require either surgery or medication to resolve. If a weak or pinched muscle is causing diplopia, surgery might be recommended. Medications, a patch, occlusive lenses, or a prism on eyeglasses may help control or correct diplopia in other cases.
The Cizik Eye Clinic opened in 2007 and is housed in Memorial Hermann Plaza at 6400 Fannin Street. It includes dozens of exam areas, multiple operating rooms, and laser suites equipped with the most sophisticated equipment available for patient care.
People travel from across the country and the world for treatment at the Cizik Eye Clinic, in part because our affiliation with the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth provides unmatched resources and expertise. Our friendly staff works diligently to make your visit pleasant and efficient, as we maximize patient flow through everything from routine eye exams to the most advanced eye surgeries.
Our physicians are faculty members at McGovern Medical School and are board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology or are board eligible. At the Cizik Eye Clinic, we understand that the eye is a small part of a whole patient who deserves top-notch, comprehensive care in a cutting-edge facility.
At Robert Cizik Eye Clinic, we offer patients access to highly specialized eye and vision care. To ask us a question, schedule an appointment, or learn more about us, please call (713) 486-9400, or click below to send us a message. In the event of an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.