All About Ghost Images

If one starts seeing ghost images despite the eyes working normal in unison, it is a reason valid enough to visit an ophthalmologist. The condition is also termed as diplopia or double vision. Several individuals have an in-born eye condition wherein they fail in working in unison (Strabismus). The eyes would cross inwards or turning outwards or also one eye going up when the other eye would go down. Strabismus patients would see double in case their brain permits it, since the eyes notice different things at the analogous instant. However, the brain would generally adapt by closing down or overlooking the info from a single eye (suppression). Surgical intervention or vision treatment could assist strabismus patients.

Causes

Momentary occurrences of ghost images or double vision could arise due to several reasons, inclusive of binge-drinking, antibiotics or excessive tiredness. Such kind of brief-term diplopia is generally not a reason to be worried about. However, in case one continues to see ghost images or is long-standing or recurs then the following causes could be accountable.

• Presence of tumor, aneurysm, swelling in the brain, injury to the head, strokes or other associated conditions could lead to sudden occurrence of ghost images.
• Corneal dystrophies (deteriorating outline of the cornea), keratoconus (corneal shape is cone-like) could be causal to double vision.  Such ghost images are trickier in managing. Several abnormalities in the cornea could be treated with the use of specialised eye contacts or dry eye therapies like punctual plugs, eye drops. In several individuals, the problem is resolved with surgical procedure like transplantation of cornea or intacs implant procedure.
• Acute Dry eye condition like Sjogren’s syndrome which causes inadequate or pitiable tear quality could be causal to ghost images. Treatment course involves OTC or medically prescribed eye drop medications, orally taken supplement form, drugs, lid-hygiene methods, punctual plugs or a merger of all such therapies.
• In case one has undergone PRK, LASIK or other kind of refractive surgical procedure for better vision and freedom from eye contact lens and glasses, one might see dual images due to corneal alterations. An irregularly formed surface due to the surgical procedure or drying might lead to scattering of light rays rather than their proper focus occurring. The issue would generally subside in some days or months and eye drop administration might be needed. Ghost images would disappear generally following cataract surgery or after refractive surgery healing has occurred.
• Cataract causes cloudiness in the eye’s innate lens which is located at the rear of the pupil causing light scattering in diverse angles which produce several imperfect images, particularly when light sources are viewed. Cataract caused ghost images are generally observed in just a single eye, also known as monocular double vision. Surgery for removal of innate lens and replacement with a synthetic implant would eradicate dual vision issue. The use of anti-glare eye glasses would also assist.
• Diabetics often develop cranial nerve palsies which cause the eyes to observe in diverse directions. Cranial nerve palsies could also develop due to MS, hypertension, arterial blockage, head injuries, tumors or meningitis. In several cases, the condition would subside without any therapy while in others eyesight treatment, surgical intervention or specialized prism glasses would be helpful.

Treatment

Surgical procedure, prism eye glasses, vision therapy or drugs are usually the therapies for ghost images. Since some health condition (like stroke, nerve palsies) cause varying dual vision which is difficult to precisely measure for rectification. In such cases, a phase of adjusting would be necessary wherein one learns to exist with it. The person would be prescribed eye patch on a single eye for some time, fogged portions of glass lens, specially made contact lenses or prism. In majority of the cases, the brain would ultimately become capable of suppressing one of the dual images.