DOUBLE VISION, NORMAL OR NOT?

[PolkaDots1111]

Really confused about this so if you know anything about eyes please help !

I can easily give myself double vision (like I’m pretty sure everyone else can do too). I don’t know exactly how it works or what I’m doing, but if I just stare at something and do something with my eyes it goes double. My eyes don’t actually cross over or squint at all when I make my vision double and they don’t look any different at all, I’m not physically crossing my eyes. I can only do it with things about 1.5m away or closer- anything further away than this I can’t make it go double. When I make things go double, the 2 pictures go beside each other and when the thing I’m looking at is closer to me, the double vision is bigger whereas when the thing I’m looking at is further away (up to about 150cm away) the picture still goes double but not as double if that makes any sense.

It’s ok when I’m controlling it but sometimes it happens on its own and it’s annoying. Like if I’m reading a book, I feel like I have to work hard with my eyes to keep it single and it wants to go double. If my eyes get tired at all they lapse into double. It’s frustrating because even though I can always make it single vision again, it feels like if I relax at all they just slip into double which is annoying when it just happens. Closing one eye stops it and I usually do that when reading as it’s just easier.

I’ve had this for as long as I can remember and it’s not a sudden new thing. I get frequent sore heads but this isn’t new either.

Does anyone else have this ? Is it normal and just one of life’s annoying things ?

Sorry didn’t realise caps lock was on for the title !

I don't know if it's normal or not but I do this too OP. Like when Magic Eye pictures where everywhere I could do them quite easily... it's like I focus on a point beyond where I should be focussing (or in front of it).
I usually can control it but yes when I'm tired it happens all by itself!
I hope this is reassuring that you're not the only one!

I think everyone can "relax" their eyes to cause double vision. However, the only time where I've had to fight to keep single vision is when I was getting used to a dramatically different glasses prescription.
If you're struggling with reading, it might be worth a trip to the optometrist to see if you need reading glasses.

I don't know how common it is but I've had it since around age 12 maybe longer. Mine may have been caused by a childhood accident, where a muscle controlling one eye has become trapped. In my 20's an optician picked up on it and went to hospital where I was given exercises. I was told it could be operated on but that it was not without risks, so correction via exercises and glasses may be sufficient.
"it feels like if I relax at all they just slip into double " - yes, I find that it is more common when I am tired, so when I am not auto correcting it.

Seek advice from an optician if you have found any change in the situation, they can refer you to hospital specialist if necessary.

@eleanoreleanoreleanor

I don't know if it's normal or not but I do this too OP. Like when Magic Eye pictures where everywhere I could do them quite easily... it's like I focus on a point beyond where I should be focussing (or in front of it). I usually can control it but yes when I'm tired it happens all by itself! I hope this is reassuring that you're not the only one!

This is exactly how it feels for me too! Definitely reassuring thanks

It’s usually not a problem because I can just put the double vision back together but it gets tiring after a while and it feels like I have to fight with my eyes not to make it go double! If I get tired then it just goes into double when I read.

ive got this and mine is convergence insufficiency meaning i need prisms on both my distance and reading glasses so i dont get double vision. it might be nothing but your optician or equivalent if youre not he uk can do basic tests to see if it warrants further investigation :)

I had this, assessed as having perfect vision as a teen (even though I really struggled yo read music etc), but over the years struggled to "hold my vision together" if that makes sense. Eventually my eyes started jumping if I pushed it too far. Had eye test and optician said I have astigmatism (different shaped eyeballs) plus self correction, ie I can pull my vision together to correct it temporarily, but the muscles holding it there get tired and I can't keep it up for long (esp as I get older). So my vision would appear very good on an eye test, but in reality I couldn't keep it up all day. I had an eye test where I was told to really try and relax my eyes and not correct my vision, then was prescribed glasses that really helped. I hardly get it at all now.

Convergence insufficiency - the muscles that pull your eyes together to focus on something close are weaker than average. The closer you hold something the more the eyes have to converge and the more the muscles have to work, and that's when you notice the muscle weakness especially when tired.

Convergence exercises or prism in your glasses can help. See your optometrist and they'll check it and see which is the best option for you.

I was confused because I can make the double vision go back to single vision, but it feels like I have to force my eyes to do something to go back to single vision. I’m always able to make the double vision stop but it gets frustrating when I’m tired or read for too long and it keeps going double. Would a convergence insufficient be like this?

Yep, that sounds like convergence insufficiency. You can make your muscles do it but it's effort (when it shouldn't be). Exercises for convergence would probably help.