Close
Open
Share on Facebook
Twitter
Email
 
Notice: Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare.org. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
 

Details about COVID-19, monkeypox, and the flu vaccine

Menu
Search
Menu
Search
  • Doctors, Clinics & Locations, Conditions & Treatments
  • Patients & Visitors
  • MyHealth
  • Billing
  • Insurance
  • Medical Records
  • Support Groups
  • Financial Assistance
  • COVID-19 Resource Center
  • Locations and Parking
  • Visitor Policy
  • Hospital Check-in
  • Video Visits
  • International Patients
  • Contact Us
View All Information for Patients & Visitors »
We are available to assist you 24/7.
650-498-3333
GuestServices@stanfordhealthcare.org


View the changes to our visitor policy »

 

View information for Guest Services »

New to MyHealth?

Manage Your Care From Anywhere.

Access your health information from any device with MyHealth.  You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill.

ALREADY HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?

Activate Account

DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?

Create a New Account

NEED MORE DETAILS?

Learn More about MyHealth »
Learn More about Video Visits »

MyHealth for Mobile

Get the iPhone MyHealth app »
Get the Android MyHealth app »

WELCOME BACK

Forgot Username or Password?
Need Help?

Clear

Causes of Double Vision

  • About
  • About
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatments
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatments

Double Vision Causes

A range of conditions can cause double vision, including problems within the eye, such as the cornea or lens. Other underlying causes can involve muscles or nerves controlling eye function and movement, or issues in the brain. Some causes can be minor, such as astigmatism, or life threatening, such as an aneurysm or stroke.

Read more about double vision diagnosis.

Double Vision Caused by Cornea Problems

The cornea is the clear layer that covers the front of the eye. Its main function is to focus incoming light into the eye. Problems in the cornea distort its surface, which can create double vision. Such problems include:

  • Astigmatism
  • Dry eyes
  • Infections such as shingles or herpes zoster
  • Scars caused by disease, injury or infection

Double Vision Caused by Lens Problems

Your eye's lens works with the cornea to focus incoming light onto the retina (back of the eye). The lens is behind the pupil and changes shape as it focuses.

The most common lens problem that can cause double vision is a cataract, a clouding of the normally clear lens due to aging. Our eye surgeons can remove cataracts in an outpatient surgery. Learn more about cataract surgery.

Double Vision Caused by Eye Muscle Problems

Six muscles in your eye socket control your eye's movement up, down, to each side and in rotation. Problems in these extraocular muscles include weakness or paralysis that prevent one eye from moving in coordination with the other. Eye muscle problems include:

  • Graves' disease, a thyroid condition that affects eye muscles and causes vertical double vision, in which one image appears above the other
  • Strabismus (misaligned eyes), a weakened or paralyzed eye muscle that prevents the eyes from aligning properly

Double Vision Caused by Nerve Problems

Certain cranial nerves connect the brain to the eye muscles to control eye movement. Some conditions that can affect or damage these cranial nerves and lead to double vision include:

  • Diabetes, a metabolic disease affecting your body's ability to process blood sugar that can cause nerve damage
  • Guillain-Barre syndrome, a nerve condition in which early symptoms can occur in the eyes, causing muscle weakness
  • Myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks neuromuscular junctions involved in eye movement
  • Multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological disease affecting the central nervous system, possibly damaging nerves that control eye movement

Double Vision Caused by Brain Problems

Several areas inside the brain process visual information that is transmitted from the eyes through nerves. If these areas are affected by illness or injury, double vision can result. Some brain conditions that can lead to double vision include:

  • Brain aneurysm
  • Brain tumor
  • Migraine headache
  • Pressure inside the brain from bleeding, infection or trauma
  • Stroke

Double Vision Caused by Giant Cell Arteritis

Giant Cell Arteritis, also known as Temporal Arteritis, occurs when the arteries near the temples became inflamed, leading to reduced blood flow. When these vessels, which are responsible for eye nourishment, encounter reduced blood flow a condition known as anterior ischemic optic neuropathy can develop. Vision and other symptoms include:

  • Vision Loss
  • Blurred vision
  • Double vision
  • Dizziness
  • Persistent headaches
  • Fatigue

Read more about double vision treatment.

Previous Section Next Section

Clinics for Causes

  • Comprehensive Ophthalmology and Optometry
    650-723-6995
  • Neuro-Ophthalmology
    650-723-6995
  • Find a Doctor
  • Find Conditions & Treatments
  • Find a Stanford clinic
  • For Patients & Visitors
  • Billing
  • Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
  • Insurance
  • Hospital Check-in
  • Contact Us
  • Video Visits
  • Send a Greeting Card
  • Get a Second Opinion
  • COVID-19 Resource Center
  • Behavioral Standards
  • Make a Gift
  • About Us
  • Quality & Safety
  • Annual Report
  • 300 Pasteur Drive Renewal Program
  • Stanford Health Care – Now
  • For Healthcare Professionals
  • Referring Physicians
  • Nursing
  • Allied Healthcare Professionals
First Responders
  • Newsroom
  • Careers
  • Volunteering
  • Vendors
  • Stanford Medicine Partners
  • Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley
  • Stanford Medicine
  • Stanford Medicine Children's Health
  • Stanford University
  • Legal
  • Privacy
  • Code of Conduct
  • |   Notice of Nondiscrimination      ©2022 Stanford Health Care. All Rights Reserved
Home
Close
Doctors
Clinics & Locations
Conditions & Treatments
Clinical Trials
MyHealth Login

Patients & Visitors
Billing
Insurance
Financial Assistance
Medical Records
Contact Us
Video Visits
Get a Second Opinion
COVID-19 Resource Center
Healthcare Professionals
Referring Physicians
Nursing
Allied Healthcare
About Us
Quality & Safety
Careers
Newsroom
Make a Donation
Stanford Health Care – Now
Close