Can mild night blindness be cured?

Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 01, 2024
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Night blindness is a common ophthalmic disease caused by many factors. Its main symptom is difficulty seeing in dim environments, and it takes a longer time to adapt when moving from bright to dim surroundings.

For mild night blindness, it is important to first identify the specific cause. Different causes lead to different treatments and outcomes. For example, night blindness caused by a deficiency in Vitamin A can be completely cured by taking oral Vitamin A capsules or by consuming foods rich in Vitamin A such as carrots and animal liver.

Night blindness caused by malnutrition of the rod cells in the eye is incurable. For night blindness resulting from advanced glaucoma, treatment can delay and control the progression of the disease, but cannot reverse the damage already done to vision.

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Written by Wang Hui Zhen
Ophthalmology
1min 45sec home-news-image

What will happen if night blindness is not treated?

Night blindness, if left untreated, can progress slowly in some cases and more rapidly in others, potentially leading to blindness quickly. Therefore, it is recommended to visit a hospital for diagnosis and targeted treatment if night blindness occurs. Night blindness refers to the blurriness or even complete inability to see in low light conditions or at night, causing difficulty in movement. Night blindness can be categorized into congenital night blindness, acquired night blindness, and temporary night blindness. Congenital night blindness is mostly related to genetic factors. Patients are born with a deficiency in synthesizing rhodopsin, which leads to night blindness. It is recommended to supplement with Vitamin A as per medical advice, though the treatment effectiveness for congenital night blindness is generally poor, and gene therapy is considered a direction for the future. Acquired night blindness is often caused by diseases intrinsic to the eye, and it is advisable to actively treat the primary disease. Temporary night blindness is mostly due to a lack of Vitamin A in the diet or due to certain digestive system diseases that affect the absorption of Vitamin A; hence, it is recommended to supplement Vitamin A as advised by a doctor.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
58sec home-news-image

What should be paid attention to in night blindness?

Night blindness is a common symptom in ophthalmology and can be caused by many reasons. Once night blindness occurs, patients need to promptly visit an eye clinic for a face-to-face examination to diagnose the cause, and then treat it based on the specific cause. The common causes include the following: First, it can be caused by late-stage glaucoma. Surgery is needed to reduce intraocular pressure to halt the progression of the disease; otherwise, it may lead to complete blindness. Second, it can be due to a deficiency of vitamin A, related to long-term poor diet and malnutrition. It often also includes symptoms such as dryness of the conjunctiva and softening of the cornea, which can be treated by taking vitamin A capsules orally. Third, it is caused by malnutrition of the rod cells in the retina. Currently, there is no effective treatment for this condition.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
50sec home-news-image

Can mild night blindness be cured?

Night blindness is a common ophthalmic disease caused by many factors. Its main symptom is difficulty seeing in dim environments, and it takes a longer time to adapt when moving from bright to dim surroundings. For mild night blindness, it is important to first identify the specific cause. Different causes lead to different treatments and outcomes. For example, night blindness caused by a deficiency in Vitamin A can be completely cured by taking oral Vitamin A capsules or by consuming foods rich in Vitamin A such as carrots and animal liver. Night blindness caused by malnutrition of the rod cells in the eye is incurable. For night blindness resulting from advanced glaucoma, treatment can delay and control the progression of the disease, but cannot reverse the damage already done to vision.

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Written by Wang Hui Zhen
Ophthalmology
1min 11sec home-news-image

Does night blindness also cause a decrease in vision during the day?

Patients with severe night blindness also experience a decline in vision during the day. Night blindness refers to the blurriness or complete inability to see in the dark or dimly lit environments, causing difficulties in movement. In severe cases, vision can also decline during the day. Night blindness can be categorized into congenital, acquired, and temporary night blindness. Congenital night blindness is mostly related to congenital genetic factors, where patients inherently lack the ability to synthesize rhodopsin, leading to night blindness. Acquired night blindness is often due to diseases of the retina or other eye diseases, and it is recommended to actively treat the primary disease. Temporary night blindness is mostly due to a lack of Vitamin A in the diet, or due to certain digestive system diseases affecting Vitamin A absorption, and it is advised to supplement Vitamin A and other treatments as prescribed by a doctor.

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Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
1min home-news-image

Will night blindness lead to blindness?

Night blindness first requires determining the cause of your condition. If it is due to a deficiency of vitamin A leading to night blindness, supplementing vitamin A can alleviate the symptoms, and the night blindness will disappear. However, if the night blindness is caused by retinitis pigmentosa, as this condition progresses with age, the symptoms of retinal pigment degeneration worsen and the retinal-caused night blindness will gradually intensify, eventually there is a possibility of blindness. It is essential first to determine the specific cause. Some people may experience a rapid progression of the disease, but others with retinitis pigmentosa, or such symptoms of night blindness, may not be very severe. They could maintain useful vision throughout their lives, which mainly depends on the type and severity of the genetic mutation and the specific causes.