Night Blindness

What Is Night Blindness?

Night blindness, also known as nyctalopia, occurs when someone has trouble seeing in the dark or in dim lighting. People with this condition often have difficulty adjusting to changing lighting, like when moving from a dark theater into bright sunshine.

The delayed adjustment to lighting can make them feel like they can’t see. However, night blindness is not the same as medical blindness.

Cataracts

When a cataract forms in the eye, it creates a cloudy haze over the lens. It’s a common occurrence, especially among older people. Cataracts manifest in many ways, including blurred vision and increased sensitivity to light.

Treatment: If cataracts cause your night blindness, the best course of action could be cataract-removal surgery. This operation involves removing the hazy lens and replacing it with a clear one. Cataract removal typically improves a patient’s overall vision, including ability to see at night. Many—if not most—people who undergo cataract surgery are thrilled with the results.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease that affects the optic nerve, which sends signals to your brain to help you see. It occurs when the pressure in the eye gets too high—and is a common cause of blindness in the aging population.

Treatment: Although damage caused by glaucoma is usually permanent, early detection can prevent further damage or substantially slow it down. Treatments for glaucoma include prescription eye drops, oral medications and surgical intervention.

Vitamin A Deficiency

Vitamin A is vital for maintaining the immune system, metabolism and visual acuity. A deficiency in this vitamin affects how your retinas work. If you don’t get enough vitamin A, your eyes may not produce sufficient pigment, leading to night blindness.

Treatment: If you are diagnosed with a vitamin A deficiency, consult with your doctor about how to treat it.

Diabetes

Those with diabetic retinopathy may experience night blindness and other vision problems due to blood vessel and nerve damage. Vision changes can signal that your diabetes is worsening, so if you experience this, speak to your doctor as soon as possible.

Treatment: As mentioned, if you have night blindness due to diabetic retinopathy, be sure to discuss it with your doctor. Common treatments involve:

• Improving control over insulin levels
• Taking anti-VEGF medication
• Undergoing laser treatments or surgery

Injury

Eye injuries can cause night blindness and other complications, some of which are serious. It’s always best to see an eye doctor right away if you sustain an eye injury.

Treatment: If you’ve suffered from an injury to your eye, focus on recovering. See an eye doctor to determine the best steps for recovery and how to prevent the injury from causing lasting damage.

Eye Surgery

Many people turn to laser eye surgery to correct their vision, but the procedure has the potential for side effects or complications. These issues range from dry eyes to night blindness.

Laser eye surgery isn’t dangerous when performed by a skilled and trained doctor, but like all surgeries there is some level of risk. Therefore, it’s important to discuss potential complications with your eye doctor before undergoing any surgical procedure.

Treatment: If you experience issues with your night vision after laser eye surgery, speak with your doctor. You may benefit from having a special lens coating added to your glasses to reduce the light glare.

Uncorrected Vision

If you aren’t keeping up with your eye health and haven’t had an eye exam for quite a while, having trouble seeing at night could be a first indication. The eyes don’t have to work as hard during the day, so you may not notice how uncorrected vision affects you. But at night, when the eyes must work harder, uncorrected or under-corrected vision manifests itself, making it harder to see. Those with astigmatism may also experience night blindness and other visual effects.

Treatment: If you haven’t already seen your eye doctor about your vision concerns, make an appointment right away. Upgrading your glasses with a new prescription can make a huge difference in your vision both day and at night.

Can You Prevent Night Blindness?

The root cause of night blindness determines whether prevention is possible. Fortunately, regular eye exams help prevent or slow down most causes of night blindness.

1. Plan your Route Beforehand

It can be intimidating to drive somewhere new in the dark. Make things easier by planning your route ahead of time.

Use your knowledge of the area to choose less busy roads. That way, so many headlights won’t blind you. If you’re headed somewhere new, use a Maps application to see which areas are busiest and when to avoid them.

2. Clean your Windshield and Mirrors

No one enjoys chores, but cleaning your windshield and mirrors is worthwhile. Clean glass helps to reduce the halos from lights. Remove all streaks, as they can spread out the light reflections and worsen visibility.

3. Change your Mirrors to Night Settings

Did you know your rearview mirror likely has a night setting? This setting dims the headlight glare from cars behind you. Switching to this mode makes nighttime driving easier on the eyes.

5. Slow Down

While it’s tempting to keep up with other drivers, there’s nothing wrong with going slower. Slowing down gives you more time to react if something appears on the road.

6. Get Night Glasses

If you notice you’re only struggling with vision at night, you can get a pair of night-specific glasses. They reduce the glare from lights and filter out blue light to further reduce glare and improve visibility.

If you already wear glasses, you may want to consider adding an anti-glare coating to your lenses the next time you order a new pair. Patients with astigmatism can also use specialized glasses to improve their nighttime vision.

Visionworks Can Help with your Night Blindness

Visionworks offers a variety of glasses and lenses for every individual, including those bothered by night blindness. Be proactive and guard your eye health and visual acuity by scheduling an appointment with Visionworks today!

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