Did you know that people spend over $22 billion in the United States on the services of optometrists each year? More than 166,000 people in the country work in the optometry industry to help people enjoy clear vision.
One big contributor to this market is people who need the help of optometrists for their double vision. When people start to see double, they often worry that they will need cataract surgery or even more intense treatments. Other people do not even realize that the best cataract surgery Austin has to offer can help with this kind of vision problem.
However, if you are experiencing symptoms of double vision, there are many treatment options that can reduce them. You may even be able to manage your double vision with the right eye exercises at home. So what causes double vision, and how can you treat it?
Read on to learn all about the most crucial things to understand about diplopia!
What Is Diplopia?
Diplopia is the technical term for double vision. As its name suggests, double vision is when you see two versions of the same object that you are looking at.
Some people have diplopia in only one eye. However, other people with more serious cases of diplopia see double out of both of their eyes. But what can cause this kind of issue with your vision?
Common Causes of Double Vision Problems
The first thing to understand about double vision is that your eyes need to coordinate with each other to avoid it. When you think about it, it almost seems natural that you would see two versions of the same object when you look out of two eyes. So why doesn’t this happen to everyone all the time?
Your eyes communicate with each other so that they can each adopt slightly different angles when they look at the same object. That lets them resolve their two different perspectives on the same object into a single image. This is also how our eyes are capable of depth perception.
Double vision is often the result of eye muscles that cannot work together precisely. If one eye is moving where it needs to and the other is lagging, then it will not be able to resolve its two perspectives into a single vision.
This can happen if the muscles in one of your eyes are weaker than the muscles in the other. Sometimes, this is the result of other health problems that cause muscular weakness. However, this is sometimes the result of not giving your eyes enough exercise to keep their muscles strong.
In other cases, your eyes are both pointing the same way, but problems with your nerves, your corneas, or your lenses can cause double vision. If your eyeballs are both pointing where they should, but your lenses are bent out of shape, then you may still see multiple versions of the same object.
Symptoms That You Have Double Vision
Along with seeing double, you might feel pain as you move your eyes if you have diplopia. In other cases, you might feel pain near your eyes rather than in them. This pain can show up in your eyebrows or your temples.
Diplopia can also cause nausea and headaches. In some cases, droopy eyelids are also a sign that you might have diplopia.
The more of these symptoms that you experience, the better the chance that you have diplopia. The longer you leave these symptoms alone without treatment, the more likely they are to intensify. So what can you do if you have diplopia?
Eye Exercises Treatment for Diplopia
In some cases, you can manage diplopia on your own at home. Using the right eye exercises causes the muscles in your eyes to become stronger and healthier. In fact, exercising your eye muscles can be as simple as pointing your eyes purposefully in every possible direction.
Try looking up as high as you can and then slowly rotating your eyes all the way around the edges of your field of vision. Make sure to roll your eyes both clockwise and counterclockwise. If your diplopia is the result of weak muscles, this may be enough to solve your problems.
Sometimes, these exercises can even help fix diplopia which is the result of problems with your corneas or nerves. However, if your diplopia is not the result of weak muscles, there is a higher chance that you will need to visit an optometrist to receive special treatment.
This can even be necessary if your diplopia is caused by weak muscles. Sometimes, your muscles are weak because they are pinched in some way. In such cases, it can be more difficult to correct diplopia with eye exercises at home.
Find the Right Optometrist for You
Your optometrist may be able to prescribe a medication that can manage or even reverse your diplopia. In other cases, you may need surgery to relieve tension around your eyes due to pinches or injuries.
However, how can you choose which optometrist is the best choice for your situation? Consider taking a look at reviews online to help you choose between different optometrists.
Understand the Nuances of Treating Double Vision
If you recognize some of the symptoms of double vision in yourself, it can be comforting to know that using the right eye exercises causes double vision problems to resolve for some people. Of course, you may need to receive treatment from an optometrist for more stubborn vision problems. Regardless of your situation, there is plenty of hope that you can enjoy better vision in the future.
To learn more about how you can recognize and treat diplopia, reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!
