Having Night Vision Problems? Here’s A Few Tips.
One of the biggest concerns we hear from patients is problems with night vision. This can be very serious, especially if the issue is worse when driving. Driving at night time can make night vision problems more pronounced and result in a dangerous situation.
Trouble Driving at Night
There are a few considerations when having problems driving at night. First is an uncorrected prescription. If you need glasses, this can cause your distance vision to be blurred, and is worse with low lighting. Second, everyone does poorly seeing in dark conditions and glare from headlights can make it very difficult to see road signs and lines on the road.
Aging and Night Vision Problems
As we grow older, structures in the eye start to change. One of those structures is called the lens, it gets thicker and allows less light into the eye. Changes in the light detecting part of the eye (the retina) causes us to have decreased rods (photoreceptors that help with night vision) and worsening night vision.
Halos, Glare, or Blurry Vision When Driving At Night
With changes in technology headlights are getting better as time goes on. However, better headlights for drivers are often brighter for those on the receiving side. These newer, brighter headlights can cause a lot of glare issues. This glare can be worse if you have astigmatism, which causes distance and peripheral blur.
What Can Help Night Vision Problems?
Those with mild to moderate issues with night driving can benefit from making sure their windshield is clean and headlights are at full strength. First and foremost, getting updated prescription glasses or contact lenses can help with distance blur and reduce strain when in low lighting conditions. We also recommend anti-glare coatings for glasses, as they can help reduce glare from headlights.
If the problem has rapidly changed or is severe, there are some genetic conditions that can result in a loss of night vision called nyctalopia.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a severe loss of night vision it is always recommended to get a comprehensive eye examination yearly and make sure no other problems are present.
Have you ever considered the wonder of color–how a soft, pristine blue can calm and relax, how a vibrant, intense red can energize and motivate, or how a lush, welcoming shade of green can bring renewal or ideas of rebirth? Hunter has pondered these things and more his entire life… Here is his story.
“When I was three years old, I started a journey that would impact the rest of my life…I began preschool. I had always been a very social person, so I was naturally excited to meet a classroom full of new friends. The thought of having 30 new people to laugh at my jokes, to race across the playground, to build tall block towers, and to learn with was so exciting to me. Let’s just say, preschool didn’t exactly unfold as I had planned.
Learning my alphabet and numbers came with great ease–I even learned them faster than most of the other kids in my class, but I severely struggled when we started to learn patterns and colors. I remember being so frustrated with myself and embarrassed that I could never quite stumble on the correct answer. My parents spoke with my teacher on many occasions, and all became worried that maybe I had a learning deficiency. After many hours of thought and collaboration, my parents decided to have me tested to see if I could be color blind.
I was very nervous the day I walked into the optometrist’s office. My mom assured me that the test would be painless, and I didn’t have to be scared. I was just so sad and embarrassed that something might be wrong with me though. My doctor pulled out a book, and he simply told me to identify the shape I saw in the picture. Unfortunately, I saw no shapes in the picture at all. I was indeed color blind.
My mother and I left the doctor’s office with feelings of both concern and relief. I remember her telling me that I was just as smart as other children, and I did not need to get discouraged at school. This was easier said than done. When my friends and I played board games at recess, I often struggled to move my game piece to the right color square. They would naturally giggle as most young kids would do–these types of things happened all the time.
Preschool finally started to unfold the way I had hoped on a very special day, career day. We all got to dress up as what we wanted to be when we grew up, and I chose an optometrist. When I stood before the class and talked about my costume, I explained to my friends that my optometrist was my hero. He had told me and my mother that I was color blind, and while he couldn’t fix my problem, he at least made me aware of my condition so I could learn to adjust. At that point, almost every hand raised in the classroom. All of my friends wanted to know what it was like and how I saw differently than them. It felt so great being the ‘cool kid’ at school.
While continuing my education, I remember struggling at times. The color by number sheets were never my favorite assignment to say the least, but I became unashamed of asking for help with things that presented a challenge. I was forever thankful to my mom for taking me to my optometrist that day. It changed my life. Although he couldn’t provide a cure, he did provide knowledge and understanding, for which I am forever grateful.”