Can night blindness be improved by wearing glasses?

Written by Wang Hui Zhen
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 25, 2024
00:00
00:00

Generally speaking, it is difficult to improve night blindness by fitting glasses. If the patient already has tunnel vision, they can try wearing special glasses to enhance the visual quality of the remaining vision. Night blindness refers to blurred vision or even complete inability to see in the dark or dimly lit environments, causing difficulties 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 congenital genetic factors, where patients are born lacking the function to synthesize rhodopsin, leading to night blindness. Currently, there is no specific treatment, but it is advisable to supplement vitamin A as per medical advice. Acquired night blindness is often due to diseases of the eye itself 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 diseases of the digestive system that affect the absorption of vitamin A, and it is recommended to supplement vitamin A as per medical advice and treat digestive tract diseases, which can mostly improve the condition.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Hui Zhen
Ophthalmology
1min 21sec home-news-image

What should I do if night blindness is afraid of sunlight?

People with night blindness, who are sensitive to sunlight, can wear sunglasses when going out, and should actively seek treatment for night blindness. Night blindness refers to the blurriness or complete inability to see in dim light or at night, which makes mobility difficult. Night blindness can be categorized into congenital night blindness, acquired night blindness, and temporary night blindness. Congenital night blindness is mostly related to hereditary factors, where patients are born lacking the ability to synthesize rhodopsin, leading to night blindness. It is recommended to supplement vitamin A in appropriate amounts, and gene therapy is a potential treatment direction. Acquired night blindness is generally caused by diseases of the retina or other eye conditions, and it is recommended to actively treat the primary disease. Temporary night blindness is often due to a lack of vitamin A in the diet or due to some digestive system diseases affecting the absorption of vitamin A. It is advisable to supplement vitamin A as per medical advice and actively treat digestive tract diseases.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
1min 23sec home-news-image

Can people with night blindness undergo myopia surgery?

Night blindness is mostly due to abnormalities in the retinal pigment epithelial cells, because when these cells are abnormal, it leads to abnormalities in the rod cells, which sometimes leads to night blindness. This is because rod cells are responsible for seeing in low light, proving that this refractive system’s weakness is akin to a camera’s film being damaged. In the case of performing surgery for nearsightedness, it is primarily because there's an issue with the eye’s refractive system, similar to having a damaged camera lens. While a damaged lens can be repaired, if the film is faulty, even a perfectly repaired lens won't improve the camera's imaging function. Thus, night blindness primarily involves the retina, whereas surgery for nearsightedness mainly involves the lens and cornea. If the retina's condition is poor, then vision improvement from nearsightedness surgery will be limited because the effectiveness of such surgery relies on the pre-surgery vision achievable with glasses. If vision with glasses is inadequate, the surgical outcomes tend to be suboptimal. Generally, we do not recommend laser surgery for patients with night blindness.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
41sec home-news-image

Is night blindness related to myopia?

Night blindness generally has little to do with myopia. Night blindness can be divided into congenital night blindness and acquired night blindness, caused by retinal dysfunction. Myopia makes distant objects appear blurry and near objects clear, primarily due to changes in the eye's axis. Night blindness does not involve changes in visual acuity or the eye's axis. Once night blindness occurs, one should actively seek an ophthalmological examination and receive proper treatment. Currently, the treatment for myopia mainly includes corrective glasses, orthokeratology (corneal reshaping therapy), and surgical treatments.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
38sec home-news-image

Will staying up late worsen night blindness?

If night blindness is caused by congenital reasons, then staying up late generally does not significantly worsen it. If it is caused by acquired eye abnormalities, staying up late will noticeably exacerbate the occurrence of night blindness. Additionally, if it is caused by a deficiency in vitamin A, one should rest properly, reduce close-range activities, avoid staying up late, and supplement with foods or medications containing vitamin A. If the night blindness is due to eye-related causes, active treatment and regular follow-ups are recommended. If it is due to congenital reasons, currently there are no particularly effective treatments available.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
57sec home-news-image

Causes of Night Blindness

Night blindness generally falls into two categories. The first type is due to a deficiency in Vitamin A, which leads to abnormal metabolism of retinol, preventing the perception of low light and thus causing symptoms of night blindness. The other condition is retinitis pigmentosa, where the photoreceptor cells in our retina responsible for detecting light at night, mainly the rod cells, undergo premature apoptosis, resulting in poor light perception. Retinitis pigmentosa can be congenital, caused by genetic mutations or abnormalities, but it can also be secondary to other diseases. Conditions like choroiditis or choroid retinitis inflammation can lead to abnormalities in the rod cells, which can also result in night blindness. The specific causes need to be examined.