When to See a Doctor About Poor Night Vision

Driving at night can be difficult even under normal conditions. There are oncoming traffic lights, reduced ability to see important landmarks, and the risk of drunk drivers. However, while driving at night is harder, if your night vision is particularly poor – or if it has worsened in recent months – you should see a doctor, as this could be an early warning sign of a more serious problem. .

“When night falls, our whole optical system changes a bit,” says Sumitra Khandelwal , an ophthalmologist at Baylor College of Medicine . At night, our pupils dilate to receive extra light. As a result, our vision becomes more sensitive to a number of issues that may not be noticeable during the day.

Vision problems may be more noticeable at night

Some eye problems may be more pronounced at night. “If you have something like a cataract, which is a clouding of the natural lens, you may not notice problems during the day because you have a good, normal-sized pupil,” Khandelwal said. “But at night, when the pupils are enlarged, you really notice glare and streaks of light.”

This is also true for some corneal or retinal problems, which can become much more noticeable at night. “The cornea is like a window into the eye,” Khandelwal said. “It should be nice, crisp and clear, without any opacity or areas of anomaly so you can see better.”

Poor night vision may indicate you need a new prescription

As Khandelwal points out, poor night vision can also be a sign that your eyeglass prescription needs to be checked and updated. “We all get a little more myopic at night,” Khandelwal said. This is called nocturnal myopia . For some people, nighttime myopia is a little more pronounced, while for others it may be a sign that their prescription needs to be rechecked.

To check if nighttime myopia is a problem, doctors dilate a person’s pupils and check their prescription for a large discrepancy. “We usually see that when our pupils dilate, our prescription changes a bit,” Khandelwal said. “Some people are very sensitive to it.”

If you have poor night vision, see your doctor

If you have poor night vision or notice a recent change in night vision, you should have an eye exam. “Sometimes people believe that reduced night vision is just part of the aging process, but it’s important to get it checked out,” Khandelwal said. “Most people have excellent night vision, even as they get older. There is no reason for someone to change their lifestyle, such as not driving at night, just because of their eyesight, when often we can do something to help.”

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