Seeing ghost images (double vision) in both eyes

Posted , 40 users are following.

I have been seeing ghost images in both eyes since around the end of august 2017. The best way to describe it is seeing faint extra images coming from the top and bottom of whatever i am looking at, which is something lighter than its surroundings( like a street light at night or subtitles in movie). Imagine the letter “A” with a white font, on a screen on a black background, I would see faint copies of this letter above and below it. This happens with anything that is bright in darker background ( a black letter A in a white background would be fine).These ghost images can move further vertically away from the original, depending on how hard i squint. When i turn my head sideways, it occurs horizontally instead.

I have started using glasses since around october and I got them thinking it would make it go away, and it does while wearing them (not entirely sometimes), but i do not recall ever in my life having this problem before I got them. I am nearsighted and have been my whole life, but these double images are new and conisitent. Even with glasses, these ghost images are come out if i squint.

 I have been to several optometrists and they were completely useless. These optometrists confirmed that it isnt cataracts and astigmatism. I read that it MIGHT be some type of diplopia, but not entirely sure. I just want to know if anyone who wears glasses or not, has been experiencing the same thing and what they do to treat or diagnose it. Please help, this is ruining my quality of life. Glasses help me see and I should have got them a while ago. But this problem seems unrelated, does everyone who wears glasses have the same issue?  

4 likes, 64 replies

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  • Posted

    Mine was due to inflammation and/or dryness

    I was prescribed systane and flarex

  • Posted

    I had this issue 16 months ago. It's more prominent at night when the sky is dark. I can't see the ghost image during daytime. The strange part is the ghost image shifted (up or down) if I squint or raise my eyebrows.

    image

    At the same time I had some strange feeling everyday for 12 months.

    1. standing in a pool and feel the body slightly swaying back and forth with the water
    2. difficulty trying to focus on an object , especially when turning my head.
    3. dizzy or disoriented when walking in a super market, looking at goods on the shelves. It;s similiar to the feeling when looking at some poor youtube videos. Keep thinking if that is triggered by motion...

    My family doctor asked me several times if I had anxiety because that can trigger dizziness. I thought that was non-sense.

    Went to 2 ornithologists and was told I was OVER-OBSERVANT and they cound't see any neurological issues (can they really tell from looking at your eyes?). They told to me ignore it instead of focusing on it and trying to figure out what it is.

    I thought they people are incompetent.

    Everyday, from the moment I woke up, I kept thinking about "what's wrong with my eyes" . This went on for 12 months.

    Until one day, I finally decided to 'give up' and take their words as the answer. Magically I started to feel feeling better (it's like night and day). Dizziness gone!

    Then my appointment with neurologist finally came. he saw nothing .

    Today, I still see ghost images on daily basis.... sometimes it got very bad, especially when I am tired or use the phone for extended period of time (maybe I am too old, 40 years old now).

    Eyedrops like Systane or Hylo (preservative free) didn't seem to help until bought this eye-drop. Maybe it's just placebo but whatever.

    Bottom line, if you experience something similar to me, maybe it's time to check if you have anxiety.

    good luck to us all.

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    • Posted

      This is exactly what I have been going through for months. Could you please give me an update on your case. I have seen many ophthalmologists and they cannot find anything wrong. I try to ignore the ghosting but it's so bad at night and glasses do nothing to help. I have considered LASIK at this point.

  • Posted

    It's old topic, but I'll share my case. I have double vision since 3 months. I have visited 4 ophthalmologists and 3 neurologists and no one found anything. I was resigned and I went to GP, I don;t know why. She gave me referral to neck spine RTG. And I have osteoarthritis between C2 and C3 vertebra. Probably that's it. I have scheduled neurologist and orthopedist appointment. I gonna update this topic if it will be helpful for somebody.

  • Edited

    I have the exact same problem for couple of years. I went to a lot of doctors, a lot of tests but they couldnt find something to solve this problem. Finally i went a doctor he used his little light thing from a upper right angle towards to my pupil and wanted me to read and it was gone. BUT he couldnt find anything to solve this again. I wear glasses and its so disturbing to read subtitles or lights with halos around them even while wearing.

    • Edited

      hi mate I have exactly the same symptoms you have got ,,,and when I shine a light at my eyes it goes away the ghosting ....Have you found any solution for it ??

    • Posted

      Hi my also goes away when i shine a light at my eyes.

      It is most probably cornea related issue like irregular astigmatism.

      Some people have said contact lense correct this.

      I don't know what caused this but it appeared out of nowhere when i was 15 years old and now it has been 5 years and it is still there.

  • Posted

    i have been to about four doctors, one a specialist in Portland Or Ive e had cataract surgery in both eyes and epiretinal surgery in my right eye nothing has helped i have prism glasses but they are far from perfect. Guess I have to live with this.

  • Edited

    I have same problem.Got my eyes checked it was 6/6 and the doctor could not find any problems with my eyes.Got the CT scan done still no problem.Got the ECG done no problem there too.I noticed it in 2016 and now it is 2021 and it is still there. I am 19 years old with no other disease.

    I dont know what to do but one thing i noticed is that it has to do something with the screen on time because when i dont use my phone/PC for few days then i notice it very little. Also it may have have to do something with the weakening of eye muscles because when i touch my eyebrows and tries to adjust with hand then it disappears but as soon as i leave the hand it come back again.

    I am living with this because there is no other option for now.

    -> I do eye exercise daily for few minutes in the morning.

    -> I also do meditation for few minutes.

    Also one important thing is that the more i notice this the more it disturb me.

    So i am trying to ignore it most of the time to avoid unneccesary stress.

    Please help me if you guys know something about how to deal with this because as one user said it is ruining my life experience .

    Thanks

    • Posted

      I think I have the same thing as you. Know what the ophthalmologist said? "Your eyelid is pressing on the eyeball and changing it shape. You can take eye lid surgery but it can lead to other problems" 😃

      I guess when you press your hand, you also apply pressure and change the shape of your eyeball.

      So now I also just ignore it now. Accept it like a friend and know I am not gonna die tomorrow. Take supplement and exercise. It is what it is.

      Definitely less screen time. Especially no looking at the phone while walking (that's very bad because your eyes have to constantly adjust)

      We made it through 2020! YEAH!!!!!!!!!

    • Posted

      hi, i know its been a while but i just found this thread and i really need to talk about this problem with someone that can understand.

      ill try to explain you whats going on with in order to allow you to tell me, eventually, if its the same.

      its been almost an year know since it has started.

      so: i see a sort of double imagine of everything is in the background but not on what i am focusing on. i dont know if it is clear. for example: if am staring at someone's face and in the rest of the periferica vision someone is moving an hand i would see the hand doubling or i should say it is like the hand has near to her her itself ghost's hand that when the main hand stops moving the second ghost hand (double) returns in her principal own (idk if i write it right but im italian so my english isnt perfect). this problem gets stronger when its dark or if i spent time in the dark. its strongest when there is a strong light contrast between what I am staring at and the background behind it.

      ive had several appointments with different doctors but nothing. if you have something like this, do u know something that might be help? sending you an hug

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