See double images - causes and therapy

Double see - diplopia
Normally, the brain merges the impressions of the right and left eyes into a complete picture. However, those who suffer from diplopia see things twice - either in one eye or in both eyes at the same time.

We distinguish between monocular and binocular double images. Monocular double images arise when the eye breaks incident light differently in the eye lens and the cornea. The same object thus creates two different images on the retina and in the brain.

contents

• What happens during double vision??
• Diseases of the eye socket
• Diseases of the cranial nerves
• Double see with just one eye
• Alcohol-related double images
• therapy
• References:

More common are binocular double images. This creates a different picture in each eye. Some people see pictures shifted laterally, others tilt the picture, others perceive their environment blurry, but see two images overlapping each other.

The causes of double vision are manifold, more serious and often harmless. Image: Robert Kneschke - fotolia

Patients can no longer judge distances properly, so they have problems grasping and walking things. Physical work is difficult for them, they can condition their movements badly, and they complain of exhaustion because they spend too much effort to focus on everyday objects.

The cause can be harmless, for example, when an eye muscle is strained. Sometimes, however, there is a serious illness behind it - up to a brain tumor.

What happens during double vision??

The causes of a diplopia are manifold.

1) In the case of an eye muscle palsy, the double images arise because the affected persons can not move the eye muscles appropriately.

These muscles include the six eye muscles and the eyelid muscle. Three nerves transmit information to these muscles.

Such paralyzes occur when the cranial nerves are damaged. Often this damage is caused by a basic illness, for example by a tumor or a disturbed blood circulation.

The paralyzed muscles can no longer implement the information of the brain.

2) eye movement disorders

Movement disorders in the eyes are caused by injuries to the eye socket. If the eye can not move in the cave, we can see twice.

3) Congenital abnormalities of the eye muscles can cause the structure of the muscles to change. Then we see double images, they appear laterally shifted or tilted.

Diseases of the eye socket

Double images are also caused by injuries of the orbital walls - usually by violence. A blow to the eye, which triggers a fracture of the cavern walls, sometimes pinches the eye-muscles. Now the eyeball can move badly. In addition, if a nerve is damaged, loosens the eye muscle. A bone fracture needs surgery.

The eye sockets can also inflame, often a infection of the sinuses accesses the eye here. The movement of the eyes then narrows in all directions, no matter where they look, everywhere they perceive images twice. Here, antibiotics help effectively.

Orbital inflammation is easily confused with non-infectious diseases of the eye muscles or connective tissue, which also causes the same symptoms. Here, antibiotics do not help, but cortisone - over a longer period of time.

Diseases of the cranial nerves

Among other things, we recognize paralyzed cranial nerves by the fact that those affected squint.

The fourth cranial nerve is connected to the upper eye muscle. When there is no information left on the muscle, the eye no longer lowers and does not roll inward. The double images are offset in height and tilted. The images increase when the head tilts to the affected side or looks down.

The sixth cranial nerve gives the impulses to the outer eye muscle. If it fails, the eye turns inwards.

The third cranial nerve is responsible for the other four eye muscles. If he fails, then the eye slides outward. Looking up and looking down is only possible to a limited extent.

These nerve paralysis usually arise from a disturbed blood circulation, and this is usually associated with diabetes mellitus. Also, heavy smoking and high blood pressure can cause this disorder.

The double vision in a paralysis of the fourth cranial nerve is usually caused by an injury, so by a craniocerebral trauma. The affected people usually do not squint and see tilted double images when they look down.

Paralysis of the sixth cranial nerve usually increases the brain volume, whether through a tumor or internal bleeding.

A quick neurological examination is especially important if the symptoms occur or stop repeatedly. Image: ocketclips - fotolia

After treating the causative disorder, the doctor waits one year for the nerves and muscles to regenerate. Squinting as a result of paralysis can be treated by a now following surgery.

Until this operation finally eliminates the misalignment, sufferers wear glasses with reversible prisms.

Afflicted with paralysis of the cranial nerves suffer from dizziness, their sense of space is disturbed, and they try to compensate for the distorted look by tilting their heads to the side.

Double see with just one eye

Keratoconus is a rare disease of the cornea. This affects around 40,000 people in Germany. The affected cornea bulges and thins out.

The disease is most common in men in their 20s. The refractive power of the eye changes with them again and again and so varies their visual impairment. They see "shadows" on spellers and they see double - but only in one eye.

The cause is unknown. Ophthalmologists recognize keratoconus with a corneal topography. They measure the thickness of the cornea and use a slit-lamp microscope to examine how the cornea changes.

Alcohol-related double images

Strong drunks see twice. This has little to do with any other poor eyesight. Whether someone is short-sighted or far-sighted does not affect the alcohol.

If we drank too much, however, the interaction between brain and eye is disturbed. The nerve impulses no longer reach the eye system, and where, in the fasted state, a three-dimensional image arises from the impressions of both eyes, two images suddenly dance around. Both eyes must look in exactly the same direction to merge their images. After heavy drinking it is no longer possible.

therapy

The double vision can be treated as well as the diseases that underlie it.

A prismatic film on the glasses or a special lens with prismatic layers restore the overall picture. Often, the affected eye must be covered, but this is only a solution for short-term eye disorders. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)
Specialist supervision: Barbara Schindewolf-Lensch (doctor)

References:

http://cms.augeninfo.de/hauptmenu/presse/aktuelle-presseinfo/pressemitteilung/article/mit-einem-auge-doppelt-sehen-1.html
https://www.orthoptik.de/fileadmin/pdf/Behandlungsmoeglichkeiten_bei_Doppelbilder.pdf
http://www.diabetes-ratgeber.net/Schlaganfall/Warnzeichen-eines-Schlaganfalls-54174_3.html
http://www.sehtestbilder.de/warum-betrunken-doppelt-sehen.php