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Suggest Treatment For Headache Along With Double Vision

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Posted on Fri, 13 Feb 2015
Question: Good morning! My twelve year old son woke up on Monday with a headache and double vision, the headache left after about four hours without taking anything. He says he is seeing two completely separate images side by side, not stacked or in an angle. When he had this symptom two months ago our Pediatrician said it was probably a virus and sent him home.

The only thing different that happened before the first onset is that he got glasses for the first time. His vision is close to 20/20 but he was having difficulty focusing when he was reading. The Optometrist recommended a specialist who did testing and found out the his eyes weren't working together properly and that they were focusing in the wrong spot so she gave him corrective lenses and he immediately was able to read without issues. He started wearing these glasses about two weeks before the first episode of double vision.
We have a friend who is a Chiropractor and she gave him neck adjustments for five days straight and the double vision went away.

When this happened again we called the Specialist and explained the problem and they set an appointment for next week. We've been having his neck adjusted and regardless of the time of day the neck is adjusted his vision begins improving roughly two hours after the adjustment-----according to my son (who's into fractions) the vision gradually resolves into overlapping images first 1 1/2 image then reducing down to roughly 1 1/10 overlap about 4 hours. When it gets to that point he is able read and it resolves into one image close up but still overlapping images at a distance.

This morning he woke up without double vision but when he bent over to put on his shoe and walking cast the double vision returned. His middle school has 1100 kids so we're reluctant to have him go to school and bump into walls and people and would really like him to be able to read whats on the board too. The information that we are finding online states that this could be a sign of something serious and are frustrated that no one is taking this seriously. Would you be able to recommend what our next steps should be?

Thank you!

XXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Tushar Kanti Biswas (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Uncrossed diplopia-intermittent

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.

Migraine headaches can cause intermittent diplopia along with headache.

Uncrossed diplopia without tilting of image occurs with abductor muscle/ lateral rectus paralysis.
In order to overcome diplopia, the head may be involuntarily turned in the direction of action of the paralyzed muscle.Hence the role of neck adjustments.

To decide which pair of muscles is responsible, ask in which direction there is maximum image separation, since separation is greatest in the direction in which the weak muscle has its purest action

A pattern of diplopia that is variable and difficult to interpret suggests the possibility of Myasthenia gravis.
MRI brain is justified as the first step of investigation to exclude VIth cranial nerve compression by any A-V malformation,in view of intermittent headache and uncrossed diplopia.
Regards

Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Tushar Kanti Biswas

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1975

Answered : 1920 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Headache Along With Double Vision

Brief Answer: Uncrossed diplopia-intermittent Detailed Answer: Hi, Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns. Migraine headaches can cause intermittent diplopia along with headache. Uncrossed diplopia without tilting of image occurs with abductor muscle/ lateral rectus paralysis. In order to overcome diplopia, the head may be involuntarily turned in the direction of action of the paralyzed muscle.Hence the role of neck adjustments. To decide which pair of muscles is responsible, ask in which direction there is maximum image separation, since separation is greatest in the direction in which the weak muscle has its purest action A pattern of diplopia that is variable and difficult to interpret suggests the possibility of Myasthenia gravis. MRI brain is justified as the first step of investigation to exclude VIth cranial nerve compression by any A-V malformation,in view of intermittent headache and uncrossed diplopia. Regards Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX