Double vision that comes and goes: what to note for your appointment

Double vision that has been checked by a doctor but comes and goes is a different situation. If your double vision is new and hasn't been checked yet, even if it comes and goes, see a doctor or optometrist promptly rather than waiting. Many people are asked to "keep an eye on it", which is hard to do without a simple way to record it. These observations are the ones clinicians commonly ask about.

Check: does covering one eye make it go away?

When you are seeing double, cover one eye, then the other.

• If the double image disappears when you cover either eye, note that.
• If the double image stays when you look through one eye alone, note which eye.

This simple check helps your doctor narrow down the cause. You don't need to work out what it means. Just write down what you saw.

Write down

• Direction. Are the two images side by side, one above the other, or tilted?
• Where you look. Is it worse looking to one side, up, down, or straight ahead?
• Near or far. Reading, the computer screen, or across the room and when driving?
• When. Time of day, how long it lasted, and whether you were tired.
• Anything else. Headache, eyelid changes, eye pain or other symptoms.

Photos can help

If your doctor is interested in how your eyes line up, photos looking straight ahead, left, right and up, taken the same way each time, can add context. Ocufuse guides you through those four views and lets you add a timed note to each session.

Stay safe

Don't drive if you are seeing double. Ask your doctor what to do about driving if your double vision comes and goes, and check the rules where you live.