Take action on double vision.
Double vision, or diplopia, is seeing two, often overlapping, images of a single object. When it newly occurs in a mature patient, it may be associated with many conditions or diseases. An eye exam can identify if the cause is a cataract, migraine, microvascular cranial nerve palsy or strabismus.
For ESA patient Deb, having sudden double vision was a warning sign that something much worse was happening. She was driving and started to have double vision. She explains, “It scared me and I drove home with one eye closed. I asked my son to look at my eyes and it didn’t appear anything was wrong. The next morning, it happened again while driving. I called Eye Surgeons as soon as I got to work. I knew something wasn’t right.”
Deb was seen at ESA immediately and Dr. Frederick recommended she have blood work done and an MRI. Less than 24 hours later, Deb was notified she had a cavernous sinus aneurysm. Her family doctor recommended she get to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for treatment immediately, but it was Memorial Day weekend. Luckily, Deb got to Iowa City quickly for additional testing and treatment.
A second MRI in Iowa City confirmed she needed surgery immediately. Deb continues, “If we’d even waited until Tuesday, I’d be dead. Thank God for Dr. Frederick. He saved my life. If he wouldn’t have been on top of it, I’d be dead now. I hope others can learn from this. We’re educated on symptoms of heart attacks, but no one talks about what serious systemic problems you could have with the sudden onset of double vision. If you suddenly have double vision, get to your eye doctor. If you don’t have an eye doctor, I know a great one.”
Deb continues to improve and has been cleared to resume all of her activities. Dr. Frederick feels her left eye will continue to recover and adds, “There was great teamwork all around from our staff, to Dr. Ade’s office, to UIHC to establish the diagnosis and arrange treatment.”
The material contained in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider.
