What is the medical term for double vision?

Diplopia is the medical term for double vision. This condition occurs when a person sees two images of a single object, which can happen due to misalignment of the eyes, issues with the muscles that control eye movement, or neurological problems affecting vision. It can affect one or both eyes and may present itself in various ways, such as horizontal or vertical double vision.

The other terms in the options refer to different visual phenomena: hemianopsia describes the loss of vision in half of the visual field, typically resulting from an injury to the brain; scotoma signifies a partial loss of vision or a blind spot in the visual field; while amblyopia, often known as "lazy eye," refers to a developmental problem where one eye does not achieve normal visual acuity, usually due to issues in how the brain and eyes work together. Thus, the correct association of diplopia with double vision highlights the specific nature of visual disturbances linked to eye alignment and perception.