Most of the time, if you have double vision, it will go away, and everything will be single if you close or cover one eye.
However, in some cases, the double vision still exists while looking with only one eye at a time or may only affect one of the two eyes.
This type of double vision is called monocular diplopia.
How to Tell if You Have Double Vision in One Eye
A simple way to test yourself for double vision in one eye is to simply cover one eye and look at an object with the other eye. If the object is single, the eye is not seeing double.
Then repeat the test on the other eye by covering the eye you just tested.
In most cases, if you have double vision in one eye, everything will appear double or like two images are overlapped when looking with both eyes open as well.
What Does Double Vision Look Like?
The term double vision is a somewhat subjective term as some people will not perceive two images unless they are completely separate from each other.
But not all double vision will create two entirely separate images, some cases of double vision will create a halo or shadow image or have two partially overlapped images.
In cases where the images created by the double vision are not completely separate, the appearance of the images will be an important factor in determining the cause of the double vision.
What Can Cause Double Vision in One Eye?
Most causes of monocular diplopia are related to glasses or contacts. Since most diseases or eye conditions will affect both eyes equally, any double vision created will be resolved by covering an eye.
Some causes include not looking through the center of the glasses’ lens, a bifocal line in the vision, or misaligned contact lenses.
Double Vision Related to Glasses
If the double vision is present in only one eye, try removing your glasses and see if the double vision goes away. If you have another pair of glasses, try to wear that pair, and test yourself for double vision in one eye.
If removing or changing glasses causes the double vision to go away, the likely cause of the double vision is due to the placement of the glasses.
If you are wearing the glasses very low on the bridge of your nose or the glasses were not measured properly for your eyes, you may be looking through part of the glasses other than the center and it can cause double vision.
If you have a bifocal in your glasses, you may be looking through the top distance portion and lower reading portion at the same time, causing objects to appear double.
Either of these issues can be resolved by being refit in a new pair of glasses or having your current pair of glasses properly adjusted.
Contact Lens Causes of Double Vision
Contact lenses can cause double vision in one eye when they are misaligned. If the lenses move off of the center of the eye, it will cause you to look through another portion of the lens.
If your contacts are multifocal and have both reading and distance powers, this misalignment may be more subtle and still cause double vision.
In these cases, if blinking does not resolve the double vision, you may try taking the lens out and putting it back in after waiting a few minutes to an hour.
If the double vision persists, you should see your eye doctor to evaluate the fitting of the lens on your eyes.
Ways to Fix Double Vision in One Eye
Since most of the double vision in one eye causes are related to glasses or contacts, simply changing the way you wear or use your glasses or contacts may be enough to fix the double vision.
If the double vision does not go away quickly, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor to evaluate your vision.
