Understanding the Causes of Night Blindness: All You Need to Know
Night blindness or Nyctalopia cause reduced vision in low-light conditions.
Decreased night vision can impact a person’s quality of life. It can cause anxiety and fear in them.
There could be several causes of night blindness. Some potential causes include Macular degeneration, Deficiency of vitamin A, Diabetes, etc.
Night blindness might get severe if not diagnosed at an early stage, so it is essential to check with your doctor.
Continue reading to learn more about the causes of night blindness.Â
Causes
Night blindness is a symptom of an underlying ocular condition involving the retina’s health.
Below are a few of the causes that could potentially lead to the causes of night blindness.
Deficiency of vitamin A
Vitamin A deficiency is among the common causes of night blindness.
Lack of vitamin A in the body affects the production of rhodopsin, an essential pigment required for night vision.
Night blindness is among the first signs of a vitamin A deficiency.
Cataracts
Cataracts generally develop as a natural aging process.
The proteins that make up the eye’s lens begin to crystallize and harden as we age.
Cataracts affect the clarity of your vision, causing glare, blurriness, and halos around bright lights.
Increased difficulty driving at night and decreased night vision are typically the first signs of a developing cataract.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma occurs when the static eye pressure increases and causes progressive damage to the optical nerve.
This disease affects nighttime and daytime vision, first affecting the peripheral and central vision.
Macular degeneration
Macular degeneration, also called Age-related macular degeneration, is a disease of the eye that causes,
- Blind spots
- It affects retinal health
- Distorts vision in both daytime and nighttime
Diabetes
Diabetes causes damage to the blood vessels in the eyes by affecting the shape of the eye’s lens.
Diabetes is among the well-known causes of night blindness.
This can lead to a medical condition called diabetic retinopathy.
Poor night vision is one of the first symptoms of diabetic retinopathy.
Retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa is a retinal disease that occurs when dark pigment collects in the retina.
It causes the rod cells to break down and makes it difficult to see in low-light conditions.
This can also lead to tunnel vision and, eventually, total vision loss.
Congenital conditions
Congenital conditions like down syndrome, neural tube defects, etc, cause eye pigmentation problem.
It may even result in total night blindness by decreasing night vision.
Usher Syndrome is a common congenital disorder associated with night blindness.
Nearsightedness (Myopia)
Myopia occurs when distant objects and images appear blurry.
If your low light vision is blurry as your daytime vision, you might need a new optical prescription.
Refractive surgeries
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and Lasik are refractive surgeries that can change the shape of the cornea to improve vision.
However, this can affect the way light bends and enters the eye.
As a result, halos and glare around headlights and streetlights can affect your vision at night.
These surgeries could be among the possible causes of night blindness.
Diagnosis
A comprehensive eye test can help you diagnose night blindness.
Your eye doctor will conduct a series of tests and ask questions about your medical history.
This will help them identify signs of vision conditions or ocular disease.
Most eye doctors use the Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity chart to detect the early signs of night blindness.
Several rows of letters are placed on the chart in different shades of gray on a white background.
During the test, you will be asked to identify the letters on the chart.
As your eyes move down the chart, the contrast to the white background is reduced, and the letters will appear in lighter shades of gray.
Your healthcare provider might also require a blood test to determine your glucose and vitamin A levels.
Abnormal glucose levels can lead to eye diseases and affect your vision and retinal health, leading to night blindness.
Vitamin A deficiency can directly cause night blindness.
Prevention
To date, preventing genetic predispositions is impossible; however, you can alter your lifestyle habits.
You can try out the possible preventive measures for night blindness.
Eat vitamin A-rich foods
Some commonly found vitamin A-rich food sources are as follows,
- Milk
- Eggs
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Cantaloupes
- Butternut squash
Get regular eye exams
Get in regular touch with your eye specialist so that they can figure out early signs of eye problems that you have.
Wear sunglasses
Sunglasses are among the most effective ways to protect your eyes from the sun.
UV rays increase your risk of Glaucoma, Macular degeneration, and Cataracts.
Exercise
Exercise also helps you reduce your risk of eye conditions.
It may lower blood glucose levels and eye pressure.
When to call the doctor
If you’re sitting in a well-lit room and can hardly see or struggle to see while driving at night or can’t see at all, you might have night blindness.
Conclusion
There are several causes of night blindness; those include Diabetes, Refractive surgeries, Myopia, Glaucoma, etc.
Schedule an eye exam to get proper treatment and management of the underlying conditions.
You can reduce your symptoms and enjoy increased independence for most of your daily activities.
If you are experiencing any night blindness symptoms, schedule an appointment with an eye specialist as soon as possible.
Your eye specialist will ask you questions about your medical history and perform a series of tests to identify the causes of night blindness.
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