Can people with night blindness see things at night?

Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 04, 2024
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Individuals with night blindness can still see at night, but with less clarity compared to those with normal vision.

Night blindness can be caused by various conditions, such as advanced glaucoma, retinal pigment degeneration, Vitamin A deficiency, and poor nourishment of the rod cells in the retina. It occurs due to damage to the rod cells on the retina, which are responsible for dark vision, preventing them from functioning normally. Diagnosis can be confirmed through dark adaptation tests and electroretinography at an ophthalmology department in hospitals. Treatment for night blindness should be based on the underlying cause; for instance, if caused by Vitamin A deficiency, the condition can be treated by supplementing Vitamin A, thus either restoring health, or preventing and slowing further deterioration of the condition.

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Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
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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.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Can mild night blindness be cured?

Night blindness is a common ophthalmic disease caused by many factors. Its main symptom is difficulty seeing in dim environments, and it takes a longer time to adapt when moving from bright to dim surroundings. For mild night blindness, it is important to first identify the specific cause. Different causes lead to different treatments and outcomes. For example, night blindness caused by a deficiency in Vitamin A can be completely cured by taking oral Vitamin A capsules or by consuming foods rich in Vitamin A such as carrots and animal liver. Night blindness caused by malnutrition of the rod cells in the eye is incurable. For night blindness resulting from advanced glaucoma, treatment can delay and control the progression of the disease, but cannot reverse the damage already done to vision.

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Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
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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.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Night blindness will have what impact?

Night blindness is a common ophthalmological symptom, primarily characterized by poor vision in dim environments. Many factors can cause night blindness, such as advanced glaucoma, retinal pigment degeneration, vitamin A deficiency, etc. It is crucial to seek timely ophthalmic examination at a hospital to diagnose the specific cause of night blindness and then implement targeted treatments. Otherwise, the condition may gradually worsen. For example, night blindness caused by advanced glaucoma can progressively lead to blindness. If night blindness caused by a deficiency in vitamin A is not treated in time, it can also lead to dry eye syndrome, keratomalacia, and other issues. Regarding treatment, night blindness caused by vitamin A deficiency can be treated with oral vitamin A capsules. For night blindness caused by advanced glaucoma, surgical treatment to reduce eye pressure is necessary to halt the progression of the condition.

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Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
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Will night blindness lead to blindness?

Night blindness first requires determining the cause of your condition. If it is due to a deficiency of vitamin A leading to night blindness, supplementing vitamin A can alleviate the symptoms, and the night blindness will disappear. However, if the night blindness is caused by retinitis pigmentosa, as this condition progresses with age, the symptoms of retinal pigment degeneration worsen and the retinal-caused night blindness will gradually intensify, eventually there is a possibility of blindness. It is essential first to determine the specific cause. Some people may experience a rapid progression of the disease, but others with retinitis pigmentosa, or such symptoms of night blindness, may not be very severe. They could maintain useful vision throughout their lives, which mainly depends on the type and severity of the genetic mutation and the specific causes.