Can night blindness be improved by wearing glasses?

Written by Wang Hui Zhen
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 25, 2024
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Generally speaking, it is difficult to improve night blindness by fitting glasses. If the patient already has tunnel vision, they can try wearing special glasses to enhance the visual quality of the remaining vision. Night blindness refers to blurred vision or even complete inability to see in the dark or dimly lit environments, causing difficulties 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 congenital genetic factors, where patients are born lacking the function to synthesize rhodopsin, leading to night blindness. Currently, there is no specific treatment, but it is advisable to supplement vitamin A as per medical advice. Acquired night blindness is often due to diseases of the eye itself and it is recommended to actively treat the primary disease. Temporary night blindness is mostly due to a lack of vitamin A in the diet, or diseases of the digestive system that affect the absorption of vitamin A, and it is recommended to supplement vitamin A as per medical advice and treat digestive tract diseases, which can mostly improve the condition.

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Written by Wang Hui Zhen
Ophthalmology
1min 32sec home-news-image

Can night blindness be improved by wearing glasses?

Generally speaking, it is difficult to improve night blindness by fitting glasses. If the patient already has tunnel vision, they can try wearing special glasses to enhance the visual quality of the remaining vision. Night blindness refers to blurred vision or even complete inability to see in the dark or dimly lit environments, causing difficulties 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 congenital genetic factors, where patients are born lacking the function to synthesize rhodopsin, leading to night blindness. Currently, there is no specific treatment, but it is advisable to supplement vitamin A as per medical advice. Acquired night blindness is often due to diseases of the eye itself and it is recommended to actively treat the primary disease. Temporary night blindness is mostly due to a lack of vitamin A in the diet, or diseases of the digestive system that affect the absorption of vitamin A, and it is recommended to supplement vitamin A as per medical advice and treat digestive tract diseases, which can mostly improve the condition.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
52sec home-news-image

Early symptoms of night blindness

Night blindness is a common early symptom of eye diseases, manifested by blurred vision in dim environments. When transitioning from bright to dark environments, it takes a longer time to gradually adapt. There are many causes of night blindness, such as common ones including vitamin A deficiency, malnutrition of rod cells, and advanced glaucoma. If symptoms of night blindness occur, it is necessary to visit an ophthalmologist in a hospital soon for diagnostic evaluation to determine the specific cause. For night blindness caused by vitamin A deficiency, recovery can be promoted by taking oral vitamin A capsules. There is currently no effective treatment for night blindness caused by malnutrition of rod cells. For those caused by advanced glaucoma, surgical treatment is needed to delay or prevent the progression of the condition.

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Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
41sec home-news-image

Is night blindness related to myopia?

Night blindness generally has little to do with myopia. Night blindness can be divided into congenital night blindness and acquired night blindness, caused by retinal dysfunction. Myopia makes distant objects appear blurry and near objects clear, primarily due to changes in the eye's axis. Night blindness does not involve changes in visual acuity or the eye's axis. Once night blindness occurs, one should actively seek an ophthalmological examination and receive proper treatment. Currently, the treatment for myopia mainly includes corrective glasses, orthokeratology (corneal reshaping therapy), and surgical treatments.

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Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
1min 23sec home-news-image

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
52sec home-news-image

Is night blindness a recessive genetic disease?

Night blindness is not a recessive genetic disease; it is merely a symptom caused by many ophthalmic diseases. The primary manifestation is difficulty seeing in dim environments and requiring a longer time to adapt when moving from bright to dim settings. There are various causes of night blindness, with common ones including vitamin A deficiency, malnutrition of rod cells, and advanced glaucoma. Therefore, when a patient exhibits symptoms of night blindness, it is crucial to seek medical attention promptly. A doctor can determine the specific cause through a comprehensive examination and implement targeted treatment. The primary diseases causing night blindness are mostly non-hereditary; for example, vitamin A deficiency is mainly related to malnutrition and picky eating, which can be treated by supplementing vitamin A.