Night Blindness, professionally known as ‘nyctalopia’ is a vision impairment, where a person suffers from poor eyesight at night or in dim light. Night blindness is a symptom of an already existing condition like untreated nearsightedness. Conditions that cause the degeneration of the rods of the retina result in night blindness. It could also be a result of vitamin A deficiency. Rhodopsin, which is the pigment of the rods of the retina, maintains its photosensitivity only in the presence of vitamin A.
Ophthalmologists in Pune try to detect the cause of night blindness in order to provide the right treatment. The term ‘night blindness’ might be misleading as it does not refer to a complete loss of vision at night rather it means difficulty in seeing in the dark.
Symptoms
The first symptom that one needs to be attentive to is one’s sight at night. Apart from that, how the eye reacts to a transition from a bright environment to an area of low light needs to be noted. As mentioned earlier, night blindness itself is a symptom of an underlying condition and so, there may be other symptoms that may occur along with night blindness such as:
- Headaches
- Eye strain
- Eye fatigue
- Difficulty seeing into the distance
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Blurry vision
- Sensitivity to light
If a person notices any of the above-mentioned symptoms they must consult an ophthalmologist in Pune or their city. For immediate help, they can make an online doctor consultation.
Causes
The treatability depends on the cause. Some types of night blindness are treatable while others are not. The conditions that can lead to night blindness include:
- Cataracts: Cataracts occur when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy. Due to ageing the protein in the lens breaks down and results in cataracts. The cloudiness of the lens impairs vision. Cataracts can be removed by surgery.
- Glaucoma: Glaucoma is a group of conditions that damage the eye’s optic nerve. This could lead to permanent blindness.
- Nearsightedness: Nearsightedness, professionally known as myopia, occurs when the eye grows too long and can no longer focus light correctly.
- Genetic Conditions: Genetic conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa are not treatable.
- Vitamin A Deficiency: As mentioned earlier, a deficiency of vitamin A can also cause night blindness.
- Usher Syndrome: A genetic condition that affects not only sight but also hearing.
These are the possible causes that could lead to night blindness. In order to treat night blindness it is important to treat these conditions first. A person can book a doctor’s appointment or make an online doctor consultation.
Prevention
Genetically caused conditions that lead to night blindness cannot be prevented. However, a proper diet and consumption of the right nutrients can help prevent night blindness and other conditions that result in night blindness. Foods that are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals can help prevent Cataracts which is a cause of night blindness. A sufficient intake of vitamins will also prevent a deficiency of Vitamin A. The following foods contain vitamin A:
- Carrots
- Pumpkin
- Cantaloupe
- Mangoes
- Spinach
- Green Cabbage
- Milk
- Eggs
A balanced diet plays a major role in keeping the eyes healthy and the prevention of any eye conditions. Apart from this, regular eye checkups should be made for any early detection of eye disease. The ophthalmologist in Pune and other cities run through eye examinations to detect any damage.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis depends on the symptoms that the patient experiences along with the patient’s age. A comprehensive eye examination is required to diagnose night blindness. The ophthalmologist in Pune and other places asks for the patient’s medical history and performs various tests to detect any problems in vision. The Pelli- Robson Contrast Sensitivity Chart is used by many ophthalmologists to detect signs of night blindness. This chart contains many rows of letters in different shades of grey on a white background.
In order to test whether the patient has a vitamin A deficiency, some ophthalmologists may run some blood tests as well. These tests also show the patient’s glucose levels. The diagnosis enables the ophthalmologist to render the required treatment.
Treatment
As mentioned earlier, the treatment depends on the cause as the different eye conditions that lead to night blindness need to be treated differently. Treatment may include wearing spectacles or lenses of a particular power to support the correct vision or changing the glaucoma medicines. The harmful UV rays can cause much damage to the eyes. Wearing sunglasses can prevent further damage.
In severe cases, eye surgery is required. Cataracts can be cured through surgery. Lasik is a type of surgery that improves vision by changing the shape of the cornea. The treatment of glaucoma is also through surgery in which pressure from the eye is released.
Night blindness is not a rare condition. In most cases it is treatable. The ophthalmologist in Pune or the patient’s city shall provide the required treatment. Apart from a physical appointment, an online doctor consultation can also be made for immediate help.
