Nyctalopia, commonly known as night blindness, reduces a person’s ability to see clearly at night or in low-light environments. Daytime vision is not affected even when a person is depressed. Nyctalopia is not a disease in itself but a symptom of an underlying problem that, in some cases, can make myopia very difficult to see at night.
In a dark environment, your pupils stretch to allow more light into your eyes.2 This light is received by the retina, which houses cells that help people see colors (cone cells) and in the dark (rod cells). When there is a problem with the rod cells due to illness or injury, you cannot see well or in the dark at all, which leads to night blindness.
Night blindness is itself a symptom. You may notice if you have night blindness in certain circumstances, including
- You have a hard time navigating around your home at night, even with small
night lights Driving at night is more difficult - Avoid going out at night for fear of tripping over
- Having trouble recognizing people’s faces in dark places like movie theaters
- It takes a long time for your eyes to adapt to the light when you enter from the dark
- It takes a long time to adapt to vision in a dark room
If you are worried about not being able to see in the dark or suspect you have night blindness, have your eyes examined by an ophthalmologist.
- Retinitis pigmentosa: It is one of a group of rare genetic diseases (also including choroid) that affect the retina that can result from a change in any one of 100 genes. Bacillus cells of the retina are affected more severely in the early stages of these diseases, and one of the first symptoms is night blindness.
- Cataracts: More than half of Americans age 80 and older have cataracts or have had cataract surgery. 6 Cataracts occur when there is clouding in the lens of the eye, and can cause night blindness. The problem of vision at night is usually one of the first symptoms.
- Glaucoma: This condition occurs when fluid accumulates in the front of the eye and increases pressure on the eye, damaging the optic nerve. Glaucoma first attacks peripheral vision before damaging central vision. Vision is affected during the day and night as parts of the retina stop working.
- Myopia: When the eyeballs are too long or the cornea is steeper than average, people will develop myopia, also known as myopia. This condition impairs the ability to see distant objects during the day and night. Some people may experience blurred vision at a distance only at night. With night myopia, low illumination makes it difficult for the eyes to focus properly, or an increased pupil size during dark conditions allows more unfocused peripheral light rays to enter the eye.
- Vitamin A deficiency: To see the full spectrum of light, your eye needs to produce certain pigments for your retina to function properly. Vitamin A deficiency leads to the cessation of the production of these pigments, which leads to night blindness.
- Diabetes: High blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels in the retina, causing vision problems such as diabetic retinopathy. Nyctalopia is often one of the first symptoms of diabetic retinopathy.
- Some glaucoma medications: Some microbial medications used to treat glaucoma can make the pupil smaller and cause lack of eye.
- Keratoconus: This condition occurs when the cornea weakens and swells like a cone. Changing the shape of the cornea causes light rays to be out of focus. Night blindness is a symptom of keratoconus.
- Astigmatism: A vision problem caused by an irregular cornea that prevents light from focusing properly on the retina, the light-sensitive surface at the back of the eye. The most common symptom is blurred or distorted vision from any distance.
Diagnosis
The prognosis depends on the cause of night blindness. Your eye doctor or optometrist will ask about your symptoms, family history and medications and perform an eye exam to determine the cause of your night blindness. If necessary, the specialist will order additional tests, such as a blood sample, to measure glucose and vitamin A levels.
Treatment & Guidance
Treatment also depends on the underlying condition causing night blindness:
- Retinitis pigmentosa: People with retinitis pigmentosa need vision rehabilitation and also genetic testing to see if any future or current treatments are possible for them.
- Cataracts: Surgery is the only way to remove cataracts. When it does not affect daily activities, people can cope with the disease by wearing prescription glasses.
- Glaucoma: Eye drops can be used to reduce the amount of fluid made by the eye and thus lower intraocular pressure. Laser surgery to help fluid flow from the affected eye is another option.
- Myopia: The most common way to treat myopia is to wear glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery such as LASIK. Other options include multiple rigid lenses to flatten the cornea (orthopedics) or low-dose atropine (0.01%) to slow the progression of myopia in children and adolescents.
- Vitamin A deficiency: Oral vitamin A supplementation can solve the problem, and health care providers will determine the necessary amount for each case. Eating foods rich in vitamin A, such as liver, beef, chicken, eggs, fortified milk, carrots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, and green leafy vegetables, can help increase your vitamin A intake.
- Diabetes: Treatment will focus on controlling sugar levels and depends on the type of diabetes you have. It can include lifestyle changes, regular monitoring of blood sugar, insulin, and medications.
- Keratoconus: Mild symptoms can be controlled with eyeglasses and later special hard contact lenses. Other treatment options include intacs (small devices that can flatten the curvature of the cornea), collagen crossbinding (UV light and eye drops are used to strengthen the cornea), and corneal transplantation in severe cases.
Reference
Night blindness can be treated when it is caused by certain things, such as myopia, vitamin A deficiency, and cataracts. But other causes of night blindness such as retinitis pigmentosa or other hereditary retinal diseases have no cure, so your healthcare provider may discuss options that improve your quality of life and reduce symptoms.
A word from Ibsar Specialized Center
It’s important to make an appointment to see your health care provider when you notice night blindness or other changes in your vision. Since symptoms can be linked to many conditions, performing an eye exam is important to identify the underlying cause.
The search for treatment for these conditions is ongoing. Your health care provider can advise you on assistive techniques and visual rehabilitation that may be right for you.D
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