Can dry eyes cause double vision​?

Many people in Gosforth and across the UK struggle with dry eyes. Dry eyes can make your eyes feel sore, gritty, or tired. They can also make your vision look blurry. But some people notice something even more worrying:

Seeing double.

Double vision can be scary. It can make driving, reading, or working hard to do. Many people want to know:

“Can dry eyes cause double vision?”

The short answer is yes, sometimes dry eyes can cause a type of double vision.
But not all double vision is caused by dry eyes.
In this blog, we explain:

This blog is written in clear, simple language to help you understand what your eyes are telling you.

What are dry eyes?

Dry eyes happen when your eyes do not make enough tears or when your tears do not stay on your eyes long enough.
Tears are important because they help keep your eyes:

• Wet
• Smooth
• Clear
• Protected

When your tears dry too fast, your eyesight can become unstable. This means your vision may change from clear to blurry, depending on when you last blinked.

What is double vision?

Double vision is when you see two images instead of one.
These images might look:

• Side by side
• On top of each other
• Blurry or ghost-like
• Like a shadow around objects

Some people only see double vision in one eye. Others see it when both eyes are open.

There are two main types:

1. Monocular double vision

This happens in one eye.
You still see double even when the other eye is closed.

2. Binocular double vision

This happens when both eyes are open.
If you close one eye, the double vision goes away.

Dry eyes usually cause monocular double vision, not binocular.
This is an important clue your optometrist will check.

Can dry eyes cause double vision? Yes, and here’s how.

Dry eyes can cause double vision in a few different ways:

1. An uneven tear film

Your tears form a smooth, wet layer over your eyes.
This layer helps you see clearly.

When your eyes are dry, this tear layer becomes uneven.
This makes light bend the wrong way as it enters the eye.

This can cause:

• Blurry vision
• Ghosted images
• Halos
• Double-like shadows

Some people think something is wrong inside their eye, but it is often just an unstable tear film.

2. Blinking less

When you stare at a screen, you blink less.
This makes your tears dry up.
Dryness increases as the day goes on.

By the evening, your vision may look doubled or smudged because your eyes are too dry to focus well.

3. Irritation on the surface of the eye

If your cornea becomes dry, it can develop tiny rough spots.
These can change how light enters the eye, leading to double vision or “ghosting.”

4. Poor-quality tears

Some people make enough tears, but the tears do not have enough oil.
This means they dry too fast.
This causes sudden blurry or doubled vision that improves after blinking.

How do you know if your double vision is caused by dry eyes?

Dry-eye-related double vision usually has certain signs:

• It gets worse when your eyes feel dry
• It improves when you blink
• It improves when you use eye drops
• It changes at different times of day
• It is stronger after long screen use
• Only one eye shows double vision at a time
• You feel gritty, burning, tired, or watery eyes

If blinking helps clear the double vision, dryness is the likely cause.

When double vision is NOT caused by dry eyes

Some types of double vision are serious and need immediate care.
Dry eyes do not cause:

• Sudden double vision with headaches
• Double vision that affects balance
• Double vision that happens after injury
• Double vision with drooping eyelids
• Double vision that does not improve with blinking

These signs may mean something else is going on with your eye muscles or nerves.
If this happens, you should get urgent care.

How long does dry-eye double vision last?

If dryness is the cause, the double vision usually comes and goes.
It may feel worse:

• In the morning
• Late at night
• After a long day at work
• When using screens
• When reading
• In air-conditioned rooms
• In windy weather

With the right treatment, most people see improvement in days or weeks.

What treatments help dry-eye-related double vision?

You can treat dry eyes in many ways.
Some help right away, while others improve the health of your eyes over time.

At-home steps

• Use tear drops (preservative-free is best)
• Blink more often
• Take screen breaks
• Use a warm compress
• Stay hydrated
• Clean your eyelids gently
• Use a humidifier

These small steps can make a big difference.

Treatments at My Eye Clinic, Gosforth

At My Eye Clinic, we offer advanced dry eye care that targets the root cause, not just the symptoms.

IPL therapy
IPL uses light to reduce inflammation and improve tear quality.

BlephEx®
This is a deep clean for the eyelids to remove bacteria and debris.

Prescription drops
These can help improve tear quality and reduce redness or inflammation.

These treatments can help stabilise your tear film and reduce double vision caused by dryness.

When to book a dry eye assessment

You should book an assessment if:

• You have double vision that comes and goes
• Your eyes feel dry, sore, tired, or gritty
• Your vision clears up after blinking
• Your eyes water too much
• Your eyes sting or burn
• You wear contact lenses and have dryness
• Your symptoms last more than a week or two

Our dry eye assessment looks at your tears, eyelids, glands, and overall eye health.
This helps us find the exact cause of your dryness and create a plan that works for you.

Take our dry eye suitability self-test

Not sure if your dry eyes are causing double vision?
Take our quick, easy dry eye suitability self-test to find out if you may benefit from a full Dry Eye Assessment.

Take the suitability test now