Current medical status: I have a sixth nerve palsy, and a hemorrhage to the left posterior pons of my brain. I now have double vision. Second time, last time the double vision lasted 2 months.


According to the information you reported the hemorrhage to the posterior pons might have caused the sixth nerve palsy. The sixth cranial nerve (abducens nerve) is responsible for moving the lateral rectus muscle of the eye. When damage to the nerve occurs, the lateral rectus muscle (which is responsible for moving the eye laterally) is not able to oppose the traction of the medial rectus muscle. Therefore the eyeball tends to invert medially.


The damage to the nerve cells is often irreparable. Exceptions can occur depending on the level of damage. No advice can be given when moving. But, when you do not move (for example sit and watch TV or read), you might do the following: Identify the eyeball that inverts medially (to the nose) by looking in a mirror. If you can not do it, ask someone to do it for you. Then try looking in the opposite direction. By shifting the good eye to look lateral, you manage to line both eyes to look in same direction. This way you look aside. If you want to look straight ahead, you will have to rotate the neck to compensate. This advice is not a solution, but it can at least help you rest the eyes for a brief period.


You might try to consult a neurologist about the prognosis of the pons hemorrhage and the sixth nerve palsy, specifically in your case. The level of damage differs and is related to the quantity of blood that left the blood vessels during the hemorrhage.