Understanding night blindness

What’s happening in your eyes when you have trouble seeing in the dark?

Why night vision matters?

When it gets dark, our eyes change to help us see in low light. As we age, this system can start to deteriorate, making it difficult to see at night or in low lighting conditions.

This is especially important for driving at night, as night blindness can affect your ability to see the road and other cars clearly^1,2.

What is night blindness?

Night blindness, also called nyctalopia, is when people have difficulty seeing at night or in low lighting conditions^1,3. Common symptoms of this condition include:

Difficulty seeing faraway objects at night¹
Blurred vision in the dark¹
Seeing increased glare or “halos” in low light¹

Night vision may be a sign of aging or could be indicative of a more serious issue^1,2. If you start experiencing difficulties seeing at night, you should contact your eye doctor to determine if you have any underlying conditions and recommend treatment options if needed.

What causes night blindness?

During the day when it’s sunny outside, our pupils are smaller to limit the amount of light coming in, and our retinas use cone cells to transit information to our brain^1,3. But when it gets dark, our pupils get larger to let in more light, and our retinas switch to using mostly rod cells which require less light to function^1,3.

As such, for your eyes to be able to see in the dark, they need to let enough light into the retina. Rod cells in the retina also need to be functioning properly to be able to send these signals to the brain. Breakdown in either of these processes can lead to night blindness³.

How is night blindness related to other age-related vision issues?

Night blindness is associated with a host of other vision issues which either affect light coming into the eye or information being transmitted from the retina through rod cells to the brain. Some of these conditions include but are not limited to:

Difficulty seeing at night or while driving is one of the first symptoms of cataracts. Cataracts are the clouding of the lens in the eye and can make vision at night blurrier or dimmer than normal^1,2.
Near sightedness. As the pupil gets bigger to let in more light in the dark, some people become more nearsighted¹. This may be a sign that you need to change the prescription in your glasses or contacts.
Vitamin A deficiency. Rod cells, which are responsible for sending signals from the retina to the brain, need vitamin A to function properly^1,3. As such, when you don’t get enough vitamin A through your diet, you may start to experience night blindness¹.
Retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is a disease that affects the retina. It usually affects night vision first because there are more rod cells in the retina than cones¹.
Age-related macular degeneration. The retina is the area responsible for transmitting incoming light to the brain. Changes in the retina caused by macular degeneration can create blind spots in your vision which impairs your ability to see at night¹.

Take control of your night vision today

It’s important to have regular eye doctor appointments to check for night blindness and other age-related vision conditions². When you visit the optometrist, they’ll likely examine your night vision with a test called the Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity test, which evaluates your ability to see light grey shapes against a piece of paper¹. From there, they can assess the extent of your impairment, if there are any other conditions causing night blindness and find the best treatment option^1,2.

If your difficulty seeing at night is related to low vision caused by macular degeneration or dry AMD, treatments like MacuMira Vision Therapy may be able to help. This innovative, non-invasive therapy is designed to improve visual acuity and support better vision in low-light conditions. Visit our website to learn how MacuMira can help you regain confidence in your night vision and maintain your quality of life.

Disclaimer: Always speak to your primary health care provider and/or eye care provider before making any changes to your lifestyle, activities or diet.