What You Should Know About Night Blindness
Night blindness, or nyctalopia, is the inability to see well at night or in dim lighting. It's not considered an eye disease, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem. Our eye doctor can help diagnose, manage, and treat your night blindness so you can enjoy being out at night again.
Causes of Night Blindness
The inability to see well at night can be the result of conditions such as:
- Vitamin A Deficiency — Vitamin A helps keep your cornea clear and is an important component of rhodopsin, a protein that enables you to see in low light conditions.
- Cataracts — A buildup of protein clouds the eye's lens, causing impaired vision especially at night and in poor lighting conditions.
- Diabetic Retinopathy — Damage to the eyes' blood vessels and nerves can result in difficulty seeing at night.
- Glaucoma — Both glaucoma and the medications used to treat it can cause night blindness.
- Myopia — Nearsightedness causes blurry distant objects and patients often describe a starburst effect around lights at night.
- Keratoconus — An irregularly shaped cornea causes blurred vision and sensitivity to light and glare, worse at night.
- Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) — A progressive genetic eye disease which leads to night blindness and peripheral vision loss.
Symptoms of Nyctalopia
If you notice that you don't see as well in dim light as you used to — such as when driving at night or adjusting from outdoors to indoors — contact your eye doctor as soon as possible.
Treatments for Night Blindness
Your eye doctor will want to diagnose the cause of your night blindness in order to treat it. For example, vitamin A deficiency can be treated with supplements; myopia can be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses. Other conditions may require medications or surgery.
Contact St. Clairsville Eyecare in St. Clairsville to schedule your appointment today. Call (740) 695-0444.