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Seeing double doesn’t always stem from a mimosa brunch or a Friday happy hour. This short-term double vision is usually not any cause for worry. There are other more serious instances where double vision, or diplopia, is sudden or long-lasting. Double vision can be present as a condition of its own or a cause of an underlying health issue such as a stroke, head injury, eye problems like cataracts and keratoconus, or cranial nerve palsies. Each of these conditions requires serious, immediate attention. Never ignore the sudden change of vision.

When experiencing double vision, it is possible to also experience headaches or migraines, nausea, dizziness, droopy eyelids, loss of balance, and eye weakness. Other instances of double vision may occur from strabismus, a condition where some people are born with eyes not properly aligned, allowing the brain to see double because each eye is seeing something different at the same time.

If you have sudden double vision that you ignore and then it goes away over a long time period, this may mean your brain has tuned out one of the images, or suppressed it. Although this is certainly more comfortable and bearable for you, it’s not a good sign. Suppression could be masking a serious problem that needs treatment. Most Diplopia and Strabismus cases can both be treated with surgery, vision therapy or medications. Always remember, the sudden onset of diplopia could signal a condition that may be a matter of life and death, such as a brain tumor or aneurysm. Contact your eye doctor immediately if you experience double vision unexpectedly.