Written by Nishika Reddy, MD | Reviewed by Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH Published on January 6, 2023
Key takeaways:
- Night blindness (nyctalopia) leads to trouble seeing in the dark. You might notice it more when you’re driving.
- Eye conditions that lead to night blindness include cataracts, glaucoma, and nearsightedness. People can also develop night blindness as they get older.
- Getting treatment for underlying eye conditions can improve vision. Antireflective lenses and headlight alignment can also make it easier to drive at night.
Koh Sze Kiat/iStock via Getty Images
Everyone has more trouble seeing in the dark than in bright light. But if you find yourself bumping into things as you navigate dark rooms or you have trouble driving at night, you may have night blindness.
Night blindness, or nyctalopia, doesn’t mean you can’t see at all in the dark. But it makes it challenging to do things in dim light. When it comes to driving, night blindness can limit your freedom and affect your safety (and the safety of those around you).
Here’s how you can tell if you have night blindness and what to do about it.
What are the symptoms of night blindness?
The main symptom of night blindness is trouble seeing in low light. But if everyone has trouble seeing in low light, how can you tell if what you’re experiencing is normal?
The answer is in how much trouble you’re having and how it affects your day-to-day life. If you have trouble seeing when it’s very dark, like in a movie theater or a darkened home, you may be able to go about your day without much trouble. But if dim light is enough to keep you from your usual activities, it’s definitely time to take action.
If you have night blindness, other symptoms you might notice include:
- Tripping or stumbling, even in familiar surroundings
- Trouble reading or seeing the television in lower light
- Constant squinting in lower light
- Trouble adjusting when moving between bright and dark areas
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, night blindness can be considered a disability, depending on how much it affects your vision.
Keep in mind that night blindness should only affect your vision in low-light conditions. Your vision should be the same during the daytime or when there’s plenty of light in a room.
What causes night blindness?
Night blindness happens when there’s damage to rod cells in the back of the eye. This can be caused by some eye conditions and vitamin A deficiency.
You are at higher risk for developing night blindness if you have one of these eye conditions:
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Myopia (nearsightedness)
- Macular degeneration
- Keratoconus
- Retinitis pigmentosa
- Diabetic retinopathy
You can also develop night blindness as you get older. That’s because rod cells age, and they don’t work as well when they’re older.
Ranibizumab (Byooviz) and certain glaucoma medications can also lead to night blindness.
How do you diagnose night blindness?
Your eye doctor can diagnose you with night blindness with an eye exam that includes dilating your pupil to check the back part of your eye (the retina).
Before your pupil gets dilated, your eye doctor will also check your vision using an eye chart and other tools, like refraction. These tests check whether you need glasses. If you already have glasses or contact lenses, these tests make sure the prescriptions are strong enough.
They’ll also use a Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity Chart to check your ability to tell the difference among different shades of gray. In low light, the eyes don’t see color well. Instead, you rely on your contrast vision to detect differences around you. If you have trouble seeing the letters, especially as you go to the left and bottom of the chart, that’s a sign you could have night blindness.
How do you treat night blindness?
Getting diagnosed with night blindness can be scary. And you may have a lot of questions about whether you can still drive or do other activities.
The good news is that there are treatments for night blindness. Depending on the cause, it’s possible for your night blindness to go away with treatment.
For example, if the cause of your night blindness is cataracts, getting cataract surgery can restore your vision at night and during the day. Or if medications are to blame, switching your treatments can also make it easier for you to see at night. New contact lenses or glasses may be enough to clear up night blindness related to nearsightedness. And if your vitamin A level is low, taking vitamin supplementation can reverse vitamin A deficiency.
But, for some people, treatment won’t be enough to completely remove night blindness. Depending on how well you can see in the dark, you may not be able to keep driving. Your eye doctor will recommend driving restrictions if your vision is too low.
If you’re still able to drive, here are seven tips that can make it easier to drive at night.
1. Clean your windshield, headlights, and glasses
When was the last time you gave your headlights and windshield a good cleaning?
If you have trouble seeing at night, you want your windshield and glasses to be completely clear so there’s nothing blocking your vision. Smudges and dirt make it harder to see clearly. You also want to clean off your headlights so as much light as possible gets through to the road. More light makes it easier to see.
2. Get a headlight alignment and new windshield wipers
Did you know that you should have your headlight alignment checked every 12,000 miles? Headlights that are aimed too high or too low don’t illuminate the road in front of you like they should. This makes it harder to see at night. Ask your mechanic to check your headlight alignment as part of your regular car maintenance.
Also, make sure to change your windshield wipers every 6 to 12 months. This keeps your windshield clear, especially in bad weather, which can also affect visibility.
3. Adjust your rearview mirror and cabin lighting
Check your car’s manual to find out if your rearview mirror has a night-driving mode. This cuts down glare while still letting you see the headlights of other cars. If your rearview mirror doesn’t have a night-driving feature, consider buying one.
If your car’s dashboard lights up at night or you have other interior lighting, dim it down to the lowest possible setting. This will minimize the contrast between the inside and outside of your car, making it easier to see.
4. Slow down
If you have trouble seeing at night, slow down. That doesn’t just mean sticking to the speed limit. Give yourself enough time to get from place to place so you don’t have to rush.
Take roads you’re more comfortable with, even if that means going the long way around. Give yourself extra time to get to places at night and drive slower than you normally would during the day. That way you have more time to react to unexpected events.
5. Don’t look at oncoming lights
When driving at night, don’t look at the headlights of oncoming traffic. It sounds obvious, but it’s a lot harder to do than you’d think.
People naturally tend to look toward lights, but this glare makes it even harder to see. Instead, try to focus on the white or yellow perimeter road line on the right. This will keep you from inadvertently looking into oncoming traffic while still keeping your vision on what’s in front of you.
6. Get antireflective coating for your glasses
If you wear glasses, consider buying a new set of lenses with an antireflective coating. They can reduce glare from headlights and streetlights, which makes it easier to see at night. If you don’t wear glasses, you can buy glasses with antireflective coating that don’t contain prescription lenses.
There are also yellow lenses that are marketed to reduce glare at night. But it’s not clear if these yellow glasses actually improve nighttime vision. There’s even concern that they may worsen people’s vision over time. So if you choose to get them, proceed with caution.
7. Get more vitamin A
While getting more vitamin A may not directly improve your vision, it can boost the health of your rod cells and keep your cornea clear. Try adding fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin A to your diet. Carrots are a great source of vitamin A, and so are sweet potatoes and orange squashes.
The bottom line
Night blindness is a frustrating symptom that makes it difficult to see in low light or while driving at night. Glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and nearsightedness can make it challenging to drive at night.
There are steps you can take to improve your vision at night and complete your daily activities. Start by talking with your eye doctor and getting an eye exam to see if you need new glasses or treatment for underlying eye conditions. Making sure that your windshield, headlights, and glasses are clean can also help you drive more smoothly at night.
Leave a Reply