Question
Hello Dr Thomas

My Mom started having double vision for the past 2weeks in her left eye, the doctor told her it was from using old glasses(she needed to upgrade the lenes to suit her eyes) She's had the same glasses for a long while...
6months ago she got the same double vision, we assumed it came from taking lipitor, to regulate her chelestrol.. Once she stopped taking the pills a few weeks later she was back to normal and saw fine..

But this time around she has her one eye lid that easily closes and hard for her to open and that left eye is crooked to the right.. She has a hard time moving the eye to look at her nose.. It only looks right, plus the double vision. she's about 65yrs old and she told me it could be from when she was younger she went to the dentist, the doctor shot her with novacaine in her tooth/gums and she felt this heavy pain all the way to her right eye, the doctor needed to inject water in tooth area for the pain in her eye to go away. She's assuming her week eye nerves and muscles can be contributed to that.. Her left eye see's better than her right eye(where she had the dentist pain)

What could you possibly advise for my mom whose been so down about not being able to see correctly for the past 2weeks..

Any household remedies perhaps, massaging the eye,heat pad, perhaps surgery, some tests, she's done catscan and MRI, waiting for blood results now(they took out 7viles).. Doctors said it will eventually fix itself, but i worry it will come back again.. what can we do for next time so it won't. Maybe less salt in her diet....


Thanks a whole Lot

Joe.

Answer
Dear Joe,
   From the title of your subject line, "Hello Dr. Thomas," I think you may have contacted me in error. I cannot tell you the cause of your mom's current problems, I can really only advise how to live with ongoing eye issues because I have them myself. But I do have some advice I can offer, if you do not mind.
    I am glad to see that your mother is having tests done, in case the root cause is something other than optical. However, I suggest getting a second opinion. If you have only been seeing your primary physician, or an optometrist, you may want to be referred to an opthamologist who specializes in cases such as these. If he/she is not able to help you, they can better put you in contact with one who can.
    I cannot tell you why she is unable to move her eye, to look at her nose, but this could explain the double vision.   
    There are many different causes of double vision. And there are no home remedies to cure double vision. I experienced some double vision after a surgery to correct my lazy eye. The average person's eyes work together, to receive and relay an image to the brain, while my eyes work one at a time. Whichever of my eyes sees the image best, is the one to focus on it...and the other eye then goes a little slack. When my lazy eye was straightened, I experienced double vision because the two eyes didn't know how to work together. This could be, perhaps, something to ask your mother's eye doctor about. Ask him/her if your mother is biocular or monocular--I hope that  I have the correct term here--but the doctor should know what you are referring to.
    Until they are able to determine the cause of your mother's vision problems, one way to ease her discomfort would be to try using an eye patch-they sell them at the local pharmacy. This will allow your mother to rely on her good eye, and cover up the double vision. It will also stop any headaches or vertigo she might be experiencing, and she wont notice the fact that her one eye isn't moving as she'd like it to.
    I truly wish I could offer more help an information. As it says in my profile, I am good at discussing how to live with a vision problem and to deal with the emotional and physical results. Because I do not know what is wrong with your mother, I cannot advise her how to manage it. Your questions would indeed be better suited for a doctor. However, I hope that something I have said will be of some use to you. Your mother will be in my thoughts, and I wish her much luck.

Jeannine