Night blindness, or nyctalopia, is a condition that makes it hard to see in low light or darkness.
Night blindness can be a symptom of many eye diseases, can be a side effect of certain drugs, it can be a birth defect, or it can be caused by injury.
However, the most common cause of night blindness is vitamin A deficiency.
Most people discover that they have night blindness when they have trouble driving at night.
People that only have blurred vision at night may not be night blind, but have impaired night vision.
This type of problem is common and is usually corrected with prescription glasses.
Impaired night vision is thought to be brought on by age and usually is noted in the 40's and 50's.
If your prescription isn't working, it may be that the prescription is too old or that the eye exam was performed in bright light.
The next level of night blindness is categorized by glares and halos around lights at night.
People with this level of night blindness should not drive at night untreated.
It is generally caused by lesions or scratches on the cornea.
Most people can be cured through medical or surgical procedures.
Some people can wear special glasses that tint only when they encounter bright light.
These fragment the glares and halos, making it perfectly safe to drive at night while wearing the glasses.
Another treatment option is to wear a patch on the eye with the lesion or disruption.
However, this remedy removes all depth perception and makes it difficult to judge distances and speeds.
Wearing regular glasses with a black circle blocking forward vision, but leaving peripheral vision intact, helps with this problem.
People with retinal lesions or even retinitis pigmentosa, pigment deposits on the retina, can benefit from supplementing with vitamin A, DHA omega 3's, and antioxidants like vitamin C.
Retinitis pigmentosa is degenerative and has shown to respond to these vitamins and supplements.
Antioxidants clear out the excess free radicals produced by the disease.
Vitamin A helps the retina to perform more efficiently, and DHA omega 3 supplements can slow degeneration by strengthening the structures of the eye.
The retina has a large amount of the chemical rhodopsin, named "visual purple" because of its purplish appearance.
When light hits the retina, rhodopsin begins a chemical cascade of changes that make night vision possible.
The rods and cones of the eye also go through these chemical changes.
The rods are responsible for monochromatic vision that we use in the dark.
Most diseases of the eye that result in night blindness are caused by the rods malfunctioning.
Large amounts of vitamin A are required for all the chemical reactions of the eye to take place and result in vision, which is why even slight deficiencies can result in night vision problems.
Anyone with night vision problems should be regularly examined by an ophthalmologist.
Problems can usually be corrected or at least slowed down.
Most people can be completely cured by taking vitamins and supplements containing vitamin A.
Some eye diseases cannot be corrected, but degeneration can be slowed by supplementing with vitamin A, the best vitamin C, and DHA omega 3 supplements.
This isn't the case for everyone, so talk to your ophthalmologist before you buy vitamins.
Night blindness can be a symptom of many eye diseases, can be a side effect of certain drugs, it can be a birth defect, or it can be caused by injury.
However, the most common cause of night blindness is vitamin A deficiency.
Most people discover that they have night blindness when they have trouble driving at night.
People that only have blurred vision at night may not be night blind, but have impaired night vision.
This type of problem is common and is usually corrected with prescription glasses.
Impaired night vision is thought to be brought on by age and usually is noted in the 40's and 50's.
If your prescription isn't working, it may be that the prescription is too old or that the eye exam was performed in bright light.
The next level of night blindness is categorized by glares and halos around lights at night.
People with this level of night blindness should not drive at night untreated.
It is generally caused by lesions or scratches on the cornea.
Most people can be cured through medical or surgical procedures.
Some people can wear special glasses that tint only when they encounter bright light.
These fragment the glares and halos, making it perfectly safe to drive at night while wearing the glasses.
Another treatment option is to wear a patch on the eye with the lesion or disruption.
However, this remedy removes all depth perception and makes it difficult to judge distances and speeds.
Wearing regular glasses with a black circle blocking forward vision, but leaving peripheral vision intact, helps with this problem.
People with retinal lesions or even retinitis pigmentosa, pigment deposits on the retina, can benefit from supplementing with vitamin A, DHA omega 3's, and antioxidants like vitamin C.
Retinitis pigmentosa is degenerative and has shown to respond to these vitamins and supplements.
Antioxidants clear out the excess free radicals produced by the disease.
Vitamin A helps the retina to perform more efficiently, and DHA omega 3 supplements can slow degeneration by strengthening the structures of the eye.
The retina has a large amount of the chemical rhodopsin, named "visual purple" because of its purplish appearance.
When light hits the retina, rhodopsin begins a chemical cascade of changes that make night vision possible.
The rods and cones of the eye also go through these chemical changes.
The rods are responsible for monochromatic vision that we use in the dark.
Most diseases of the eye that result in night blindness are caused by the rods malfunctioning.
Large amounts of vitamin A are required for all the chemical reactions of the eye to take place and result in vision, which is why even slight deficiencies can result in night vision problems.
Anyone with night vision problems should be regularly examined by an ophthalmologist.
Problems can usually be corrected or at least slowed down.
Most people can be completely cured by taking vitamins and supplements containing vitamin A.
Some eye diseases cannot be corrected, but degeneration can be slowed by supplementing with vitamin A, the best vitamin C, and DHA omega 3 supplements.
This isn't the case for everyone, so talk to your ophthalmologist before you buy vitamins.
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