Double vision is also called diplopia, which causes a person to see two images of a single object. Diplopia is the medical term for double vision. It is the simultaneous perception of two images of a single object and the displacement may be horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Double vision is one of the most troublesome visual disorders a patient can experience. Double vision can be due to the result of impairment in any part of the vision system, including the cornea, eye muscles, lens, nerves, or the brain. It usually occurs when the eyes, that are previously worked together as a pair, is no longer able to do so because a squint has developed and the eyes are now out of alignment with each other, resulting in double vision and this may happen suddenly or over a period of time. Double vision is a symptom of strabismus.

Symptoms:

Eyes appear as crossed, misaligned, or wander eye.

Double vision

Treatment of double vision depends on its cause. If the double vision is present most of the time, then it may be possible to use a Fresnel prism on the person's own glasses to join the double vision. The treatments include:

Eye muscle surgery

Wearing glasses with filters

Having an eye patch over one eye

Receiving a botulinum toxin injection for one of the eye muscles

Having a contact lens in one eye which totally blocks vision