{"id":1819,"date":"2026-10-20T08:52:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T08:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/eye-glossary\/diplopia\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:56:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:56:41","slug":"diplopia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/en\/eye-glossary\/diplopia\/","title":{"rendered":"Diplopia (Double Vision): Causes, Types, Urgent Signs and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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  1. Home<\/a><\/li>
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  4. Diplopia (Double Vision): Causes, Types, Urgent Signs and Treatment<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t

    Diplopia (Double Vision): Causes, Types, Urgent Signs and Treatment<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Medically reviewed by {{surgeon}}<\/span><\/strong>, {{surgeon’s title and specialty}}<\/span>, on {{review date}}<\/span>. Last updated {{date}}<\/span>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

    \"Illustration<\/figure><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\t\t<\/svg>Definition<\/span>\n\t\t\t

    Diplopia<\/strong> (noun; everyday term: double vision)<\/em>: diplopia is seeing two images of a single object. The two images can sit side by side, one above the other, diagonally or tilted, and they can be constant or come and go. It is a symptom, not a disease in itself, and it has two main types: monocular<\/strong> (in one eye, caused by the eye itself) and binocular<\/strong> (only with both eyes open, caused by the eyes not lining up). Squint (strabismus) surgery by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sat\u0131c\u0131 is one treatment for binocular diplopia that glasses cannot fix.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    Diplopia (double vision): key facts<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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    <\/svg>What it is<\/span><\/dt>
    Seeing two images of one object<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Quick home check<\/span><\/dt>
    Cover one eye. If the double image disappears, it is binocular (both eyes). If it stays, it is monocular (one eye)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Monocular causes<\/span><\/dt>
    Dry eyes, astigmatism, cataract, keratoconus; rarely a retinal problem<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Binocular causes<\/span><\/dt>
    Most often misaligned eyes (squint), caused by eye-muscle or nerve problems; adult causes include diabetes, thyroid eye disease, myasthenia gravis, stroke, brain tumour and head injury<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Emergency signs<\/span><\/dt>
    Sudden double vision, double vision with eye pain, with a severe headache and an enlarged pupil, or after a head injury<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Main treatments<\/span><\/dt>
    Treat the cause: glasses or lenses, eye drops, cataract surgery, patching, prism glasses, eye exercises, botulinum toxin, eye-muscle surgery<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Specialist<\/span><\/dt>
    Ophthalmologist; for squint-related double vision at Laser Istanbul Clinic, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sat\u0131c\u0131<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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    What is diplopia? Double vision meaning<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Diplopia means seeing two images when you look at one object.<\/strong> The NHS describes it as looking at one object and seeing two, in one eye or in both. It is not usually serious in itself, the NHS says, but it is important to get it checked even if it comes and goes, because it can point to an eye-muscle problem or to a condition elsewhere in the body.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    The word comes from the Greek for “double” and “sight”. People describe it in different ways: two clear, separate copies of a letter or a face; a faint “ghost” beside the real image; or two images shifted sideways, stacked vertically or tilted. Where the second image appears, and when, gives your doctor useful clues, so notice it and write it down.<\/p>\n

    Double vision is different from blurred vision. With blur, one image is out of focus. With diplopia, there are two images, which may each be fairly sharp. A good result on the letter chart (your visual acuity<\/a>) therefore does not by itself rule diplopia out.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    Monocular vs binocular diplopia: how to tell the difference<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    The first question any doctor asks is whether the double image is still there when you cover one eye.<\/strong> According to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), monocular diplopia stays when the other eye is closed, while binocular diplopia is present with both eyes open and disappears when either eye is closed. The NHS suggests the same simple check: cover one eye at a time and see whether the double image goes away.<\/p>

    <\/th>Monocular diplopia<\/th>Binocular diplopia<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Double image with one eye covered?<\/th>Yes, it stays in the affected eye<\/td>No, it disappears<\/td><\/tr>
    Where the problem is<\/th>In the eye itself: the cornea, lens or, rarely, the retina<\/td>In the eye muscles, the nerves that move them, or the brain<\/td><\/tr>
    Typical causes<\/th>Astigmatism, dry eye, cataract, keratoconus<\/td>Misaligned eyes (squint), eye-muscle or nerve problems, thyroid eye disease, myasthenia gravis, stroke<\/td><\/tr>
    Usual first step<\/th>Eye examination and glasses check<\/td>Eye examination, often with a search for the underlying cause<\/td><\/tr>
    How serious?<\/th>Usually a focusing or eye-surface problem<\/td>In adults, can be a sign of a more serious condition, so get it checked promptly<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div>\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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    What causes double vision in one eye (monocular diplopia)?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Double vision in one eye is usually caused by a problem in the eye itself that makes the retina receive two images.<\/strong> AAPOS lists refractive errors such as astigmatism, dry eyes and cataracts as the typical causes, and notes that retinal problems are a rare cause. The NHS gives the same list and adds keratoconus. In more detail:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t