Several animals are known to have exceptional night vision, such as tarsiers, cats, owls, and even dung beetles, which are little primates found in Southeast Asia.
But people? Not too much
Many people develop nyctalopia, or night blindness, over time. Because of this condition it is difficult to see in dim or dark environments because your eyes cannot detect or adjust to changes in brightness.
What risks exist for those who have night blindness?
Driving at night is particularly hazardous and problematic due to night blindness. Your depth perception deteriorates making it harder to evaluate distances and your eyes are unable to adjust to the contrast between the headlights of oncoming cars and the darkness.
Additionally, night blindness might impair your eyesight at home by making it difficult for you to quickly acclimate to a dark room after turning off the lights. “This may lead to individuals bumping into furniture or tripping and getting hurt,” explains optometrist Dr. Isabel Deakins of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, which is connected with Harvard.
What happens in the eye to create night blindness?
The retina and iris are two components of the eye that are involved in low-light vision.
Your pupils may dilate and allow in too much light if your irises don’t adapt correctly. This can lead to light sensitivity and make it difficult to see in bright light. Alternatively, your pupils can continue to be too small to let in enough light. making it tough to see in low light.
What causes night blindness?
Night blindness is a symptom of several illnesses rather than a distinct illness. “It resembles having a physical bruise. Dr. Deakins claims that there is another cause.
There are several causes of night blindness. For example, drugs including antipsychotics, antidepressants, and antihistamines can alter pupil size and ocular light absorption.
The following eye disorders can result in night blindness:
cataracts, or hazy spots in the lens that distort or obstruct the flow of light through the lens; glaucoma, a disease that destroys the optic nerves and blood vessels of the eye; and dry eye syndrome.
But aging is one factor that you cannot control that increases your chance of night blindness. According to Dr. Deakins, “as we age, our eyes react more slowly to changes in light, and eyesight inevitably diminishes.” “Our pupils shrink, the number of rods in our eyes decreases, and the irises’ muscles weaken.”
What helps if you have night blindness?
Avoid driving and have your eyes examined by an ophthalmologist or optometrist if you believe you may have night blindness. If you need to update your prescription for glasses, an eye exam can tell you.
- According to Dr. Deakins, “a prescription modification is often enough to lessen glare when driving at night.” “It’s possible that you’ll require extra glasses with a stronger prescription that you use only for nighttime driving.”
- Putting an anti-reflective coating on your lens could assist reduce headlight glare from passing cars. Still, avoid the polarized driving glasses that are available at many pharmacies without a prescription. According to Dr. Deakins, “they may assist reduce glare, but they don’t address the reasons of night blindness.”
- A comprehensive eye examination can also detect cataracts or glaucoma, both of which are treatable. Treatments for glaucoma include surgery, laser therapy, and eye drops. Surgery is required to repair cataracts, replacing the clouded lens with an artificial one. Additionally your eye care professional can diagnose dry eye and suggest a course of therapy.
Find out if any of the medications you take could make you blind at night from your primary care physician or a pharmacist. If so changing to a different medication or adjusting the dosage might be feasible.
Three more ways to make night driving safer
You can also take action to increase the safety of nighttime driving. As an illustration:
- Regularly clean the lenses in your glasses. And get them polished by an optician to remove little blemishes.
- To maximize your vision, keep the front and rear of your car’s windshields clean on all sides.
- Use the night mode on your rearview mirror and reduce the brightness of your dashboard lights, which might produce glare.
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