What Are the Causes of Seeing Double?

Double vision can be a serious and disorienting ailment to suffer from that can be caused by a variety of factors. While some causes of double vision are mild health issues that can go away on their own, other causes are important indications that your health may be in danger. Learn a few common causes of double vision to ensure that your health is not in jeopardy if you suffer from seeing double.

Cataracts

• Cataracts often cause double vision in one eye or both. A cataract occurs when the area behind the pupil, which is responsible for focusing light, becomes clouded and vision becomes compromised. Cataracts can be caused by a number of things, including aging, injury, or they can even occur as a birth defect. Fixing cataracts is usually done with a relatively safe and simple procedure of replacing the original lens with a prosthetic one.

Injury

• Injury also leads to double vision, either temporary or long-lasting, depending on the severity of injury. A small bump to the head may cause dizziness and double vision that can go away with rest. Long-term cases are caused by severe head trauma that causes pressure behind the eye, or in the brain, to raise. Whether a small bump, or a severe injury, you should always see your doctor when you receive any sort of trauma to the head.

Migraines

• Migraine headaches also trigger double vision problems. They can happen regularly, or be sporadically triggered by things in the environment. Common causes of migraines are allergic reactions, stress, excess reading or overexerting your eyes, untreated vision problems, lights or sensitivity to smells. Usually, these headaches can be treated with over-the-counter medication or pain treatment prescribed by your doctor.

Alcohol

• Drinking too much alcohol leads to short instances of seeing double as well. Double vision occurs as a result of alcohol’s slowing effects on your brain function. The more you drink, the harder it is for your eyes to quickly focus and put together the image before them, thus as the eyes struggle to do so, you see double. Sleep deprivation works much like alcohol does, and can also result in this kind of temporary double vision.

Serious Issues

• More severe causes of double vision include things such as strokes or brain aneurysms, which may come on quickly without you realizing there is a problem. If you suffer immediate double vision without any trauma to the head or any of the above listed reasons, then you may be suffering from a more severe health problem and you should seek professional help immediately.