Short answer: Yes — and it’s more common than most people think.
If you’ve started seeing double, especially in just one eye, it might not be your imagination or fatigue. Cataracts can be the hidden culprit. But how do you know it’s not something more serious, like a nerve issue or eye misalignment?
Let’s walk through what you need to know, so you’re not left guessing.
Whether you live in Palo Alto or Santa Clara County, Dr. Joy Lam, an optometrist at Refine Optometry, is here to help you get clear answers — and even clearer vision.
👁 What Are Cataracts, and Why Do They Cause Double Vision?
Cataracts happen when the lens inside your eye becomes cloudy, usually due to aging, sun exposure, or health conditions like diabetes. Think of it like looking through a fogged-up window: the light entering your eye gets scattered instead of focusing cleanly on your retina.
When that scattered light hits your eye unevenly, you can see two images instead of one.
This is called monocular diplopia — double vision in one eye — and cataracts are a leading cause.
What Are the Symptoms?
Some of the lesser-known symptoms of cataracts include:
Many people experience double vision when they have cataracts, but few realize that double vision in one eye is a common symptom.
- Glare or halos around lights are more pronounced.
- Faded or yellow colors.
- Difficulty seeing well in the dark.
- Rereading or requiring brighter light with detailed work.
- Difficulty reading signs while driving.
Not all people with cataracts have double vision, but if you do and it is only in one eye, it could be an indication that the lens is causing the light to scatter unevenly, something a qualified optometrist in Palo Alto can pick up on easily.
What Causes Cataracts?
Cataracts are most commonly caused by aging, but other conditions can cause them to develop more quickly:
- Diabetes
- Chronic use of corticosteroids
- Exposure to UV light without protecting your eyes
- Eye trauma
- Smoking
- Family history of cataracts
If you are seeing double or noticing changes in clarity, it’s time to go in for a thorough exam by your Palo Alto optometry professional.
Cataracts are most commonly caused by aging, but other conditions can cause them to develop more quickly:
- Diabetes
- Chronic use of corticosteroids
- Exposure to UV light without protecting your eyes
- Eye trauma
- Smoking
- Family history of cataracts
If you are seeing double or noticing changes in clarity, it’s time to go in for a thorough exam by your Palo Alto optometry professional.
Learning About the Forms of Double Vision
Before assuming, it’s necessary to know the difference between the two forms of double vision:
Binocular double vision: Resulting from misalignment between eyes. It disappears when one eye is closed.
Monocular double vision: Resulting from abnormalities in one eye, most commonly caused by cataracts or corneal abnormalities. It does not resolve when you occlude the other eye.
Monocular double vision is more insidious and typically goes unnoticed until a routine eye examination detects the problem. If this describes your situation, eye care in Palo Alto should involve a thorough exam to eliminate cataracts as the underlying cause.
Diagnosis: What to Expect at Your Appointment
At Refine Optometry, a double vision symptom visit involves a number of tests to identify the cause:
Visual acuity test: Tests how well you see.
Slit-lamp exam: Close-up examination of the eye’s lens to check for clouding.
Glare test: Checks how your eye handles bright light, commonly showing scattered light due to cataracts.
Refraction test: Checks if a new glasses prescription improves the problem.
If the double vision is due to cataracts, these tests will confirm it.
What Are Your Treatment Options?
If you’re in the early stages of cataract development, stronger glasses or anti-reflective coatings might reduce glare and help minimize double vision. However, these are temporary solutions.
As the cataract progresses, and if it begins to interfere with activities of daily living, cataract surgery is the most effective treatment. It’s an outpatient surgery in which the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with a clear artificial lens (intraocular lens or IOL).
Nearly all patients have marked improvement, complete correction of their double vision in many cases within a few days after the surgery.