Could You be Experiencing Night blindness?
If you’ve ever struggled to clearly see when driving at night or even when you’re in a poorly-lit room, you could possibly be experiencing night blindness. Night blindness, also known as Nyctalopia, is not a disease in itself but rather a symptom of a deeper issue. There can be a variety of causes for night blindness, some that might surprise you, but fortunately, there are also several options for treatment.
One cause for night-blindness may be something as simple as being nearsighted. People who are nearsighted have trouble seeing objects that are more than a few feet in front of them. A darker environment worsens this condition which could be one reason that you may be struggling to see a road-sign 10 feet ahead while driving at night. Even if your nearsightedness is not severe, wearing corrective glasses when driving at night can help improve this problem.
Another potential cause of night blindness is glaucoma medications. Some glaucoma medications work by restricting the pupil to increase the flow of fluid. If you are taking medication for glaucoma, talk to your doctor to discuss how your medicine works and if it could cause problems that resemble night-blindness.
Additionally, if you or someone you know suffers from cataracts, experiencing night-blindness is also common. As we age, the chemical structure of the eye can change, causing the clouding of the lens in our eye. This causes vision to become cloudy or blurry, increases glare or our sensitivity to light, and decreases our ability to see at night.
Another reason you could be experiencing night blindness is a Vitamin A deficiency. Your eye needs to be able to produce certain pigments to be able to see the full light spectrum. These pigments allow your retina to work correctly. If you don’t get enough Vitamin A, these pigments stop being produced, which results in night blindness. In addition, vitamin A is all-around good for the eye, as it protects the cornea and allows our eyes to produce moisture.
There are several options to help you correct night blindness. Some may be as simple as changing up your eyeglass prescription to correct nearsighted vision at night. You may have to talk to your Kentucky eye doctor about changing your glaucoma medication if you believe it could be preventing good vision at night. If you do have cataracts, having surgery may be the only thing that can help with restoring clear vision.
If you have trouble seeing stars on a clear night or walking through a dark room such as a movie theater, you may be experiencing a bit of night-blindness. Schedule an eye appointment with your local eye doctor to discuss any issues you are experiencing. Your optometrist will be able to further diagnose what could be causing your night-blindness by performing an eye exam and possible further other special exams if necessary.
At Kentucky Eye Institute, we offer a variety of treatment options that can help solve issues with night blindness. As a lead provider in eye care, we are committed to providing the best treatment to our patients. Contact us to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment!