Does night blindness lead to blindness?

Written by Wang Hui Zhen
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 29, 2024
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Night blindness, if severe, can lead to blindness. Night blindness refers to blurred vision at night or in dimly lit environments, or even total inability to see, causing difficulty in movement and affecting normal life. Night blindness can be categorized into congenital night blindness, acquired night blindness, and temporary night blindness. Congenital night blindness is mostly related to congenital genetic factors, where patients are born with a lack of the ability to synthesize rhodopsin, leading to night blindness. Acquired night blindness is often due to diseases of the retina itself, and it is advisable to actively treat the underlying disease, which can cure most cases. Temporary night blindness is mostly due to a lack of vitamin A in the diet or due to certain digestive system diseases affecting the absorption of vitamin A, for which it is advisable to follow medical advice and supplement with an appropriate amount of vitamin A and other treatments.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Is it useful to wear glasses for night blindness?

Patients with night blindness cannot improve their symptoms by fitting glasses. Fitting glasses is mainly used to correct refractive errors, such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, etc., whereas night blindness is not caused by refractive errors. It is usually caused by the following reasons: First, it may be caused by retinal pigment degeneration, for which there is currently no effective treatment. Avoiding strong light stimulation can help delay the progression of the disease. Second, it may be caused by late-stage glaucoma, which requires treatment with medication or surgery to reduce eye pressure in order to stop and delay the progression of the disease. Third, it may be caused by malnutrition of the rod cells, related to genetic factors, for which there is also no effective treatment available. Fourth, it may be caused by a lack of vitamin A, which can be treated by taking vitamin A capsules orally. (Please follow medical advice when using medication.)

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Written by Wang Hui Zhen
Ophthalmology
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What will happen if night blindness is not treated?

Night blindness, if left untreated, can progress slowly in some cases and more rapidly in others, potentially leading to blindness quickly. Therefore, it is recommended to visit a hospital for diagnosis and targeted treatment if night blindness occurs. Night blindness refers to the blurriness or even complete inability to see in low light conditions or at night, causing difficulty in movement. Night blindness can be categorized into congenital night blindness, acquired night blindness, and temporary night blindness. Congenital night blindness is mostly related to genetic factors. Patients are born with a deficiency in synthesizing rhodopsin, which leads to night blindness. It is recommended to supplement with Vitamin A as per medical advice, though the treatment effectiveness for congenital night blindness is generally poor, and gene therapy is considered a direction for the future. Acquired night blindness is often caused by diseases intrinsic to the eye, and it is advisable to actively treat the primary disease. Temporary night blindness is mostly due to a lack of Vitamin A in the diet or due to certain digestive system diseases that affect the absorption of Vitamin A; hence, it is recommended to supplement Vitamin A as advised by a doctor.

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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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Does night blindness have anything to do with playing on mobile phones?

Night blindness is not related to using mobile phones. Night blindness can be caused by several reasons, with the common ones as follows: First, it can be caused by a deficiency in vitamin A, commonly seen in patients with long-term unbalanced diets and malnutrition. Vitamin A is an essential raw material for the synthesis of photosensitive substances in the retina. A deficiency in vitamin A can lead to abnormal retinal function, causing night blindness. This can be treated by taking vitamin A capsules orally or by consuming foods rich in vitamin A, such as animal liver and carrots. Second, it can be caused by retinitis pigmentosa, which is related to congenital developmental abnormalities. Currently, there are no effective treatments available. Third, it can be due to advanced glaucoma, where surgical treatment to lower eye pressure is needed to prevent and slow the progression of the condition.

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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.