What Is Night Blindness And What Are The Causes And Treatment Of The Condition?

Night blindness is vision impairment and in a medical term we call it Nyctalopia. People with this impairment usually have difficulty in distinguishing things during the night and dimly lit surroundings. It is not true that people with this disease lose the ability to see anything during the night. Some types are treatable and some are not. It is necessary for you to consult your doctor to detect the underlying condition for the illness.

Causes

Many causes can be attributed to the predicament and they may include:

• Experiencing Blurred vision when sighting things placed faraway or nearsightedness
• Clouding of the lens or cataract (The condition is more prevalent with elders they are more likely to develop cataract)
• Tunnel vision created by retinitis pigmentosa
• Usher Syndrome (a genetic condition which affects both eyes and ears)
• Vitamin A deficiency can be the reason for developing night blindness
• People with diabetics or high glucose levels have the chance to develop cataract and night vision condition

Symptoms

The symptom is primarily attributed to experiencing difficulty in seeing things clearly in the dark. One mostly experiences the condition when he makes the transition from a bright environment to a dark area or with low light. For example, when you enter a dimly lit restaurant from a sunny street you will experience darkness in front of your eyes. The same may happen when you are driving and the brightness varies with the street lights and the car headlights.

Night Blindness Treatment

What are the treatment options for the blindness? When you consult your doctor he will examine your medical history and conduct tests to diagnose the night blindness. Blood samples may be necessary to reach the conclusion as it will show the vitamin A and sugar levels. The condition triggered by cataract, vitamin deficiency, and nearsightedness can be treated. Prescription glasses can improve vision for nearsightedness during night and day and you must get back to your doctor if you experience difficulty even with corrective lenses.

If the disease is due to cataract, surgery can remove it and a clear lens will replace the old one. this will dramatically improve your vision during the night. Taking vitamin supplements will cure the vitamin A deficiency which in turn will improve the night vision condition. Developed nations have fewer cases of vitamin A deficiency because they are supplanted by a diet which is full of nutrition.

If Genetic Defect is the reason for the condition then no corrective surgery can improve the condition. Retinitis pigmentosa is not treatable because the pigment buildup of the retina does not respond to corrective surgery.

Prevention

Is it possible to prevent night blindness from developing?

One cannot prevent the defect if it is genetic and an example is the Usher syndrome. By eating a balanced diet you can keep healthy levels of blood sugar and avoid it. Eating foods that contain minerals and antioxidant vitamins will help in reducing the risk. If you already have it avoid night drives, and only resume only when the cause is decided or the blindness is treated.