Night blindness is poor vision at night or in dim light.
Night blindness may cause problems with driving at night. People with night blindness often have trouble seeing stars on a clear night or walking through a dark room, such as a movie theater.
These problems are often worse just after a person is in a brightly lit environment. Milder cases may just have a harder time adapting to darkness.
The causes of night blindness fall into two categories: treatable and nontreatable.
Take safety measures to prevent accidents in areas of low light. Avoid driving a car at night, unless you get your eye doctor's approval.
Vitamin A supplements may be helpful if you have a vitamin A deficiency. Ask your doctor.
It is important to have a complete eye exam to determine the cause, which may be treatable. Call your eye doctor if symptoms of night blindness persist or significantly affect your life.
Your health care provider will examine you and your eyes. The goal of the medical exam is to determine if the problem can be corrected (for example, with new glasses or cataract removal), or if the problem is due to something more serious.
The doctor may ask you questions, including:
The eye exam will include:
Other tests may be done:
Nyctanopia; Nyctalopia; Night blindness