Night blindness is difficulty seeing in the dark or in low light. One of the most common issues with night blindness is difficulty driving in the evening or at night.
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Night blindness is caused by disorders or conditions that affect the cells in the retina that are responsible for vision in dim light (cones). Examples include:
Age is the most common factor that contributes to night blindness. Many eye conditions develop as people get older. Other factors that may increase the chance of night blindness include:
Symptoms are difficulty or inability to see in low light or darkness, even with glasses or contact lenses. While driving, this may also occur a few seconds after the bright headlights of an oncoming car have passed.
Trouble adjusting from low levels of light to high levels of light
You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. A complete eye exam will be done. A blood test can be used to test the amount of vitamin A in your blood.
Treatment depends on the cause of night blindness. Options may include:
Night blindness may require taking extra safety precautions when necessary. This may mean avoiding driving in the evening or at night.
To help reduce your chance of night blindness:
American Optometric Association
http://www.aoa.org
Eye Smart—American Academpy of Ophthalmology
http://www.eyesmart.org
Canadian Ophthalmological Society
http://www.cos-sco.ca
Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca
Glaucoma and driving. Glaucoma Research Foundation website. Available at:
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Updated April 1, 2013. Accessed December 15, 2017.
Night blindness. Cleveland Clinic website. Available at:
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Updated March 18, 2015. Accessed December 15, 2017.
Night Blindness, Congenital Stationary. The University of Arizona Health Sciences website. Available at:
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Accessed December 15, 2017.
Posterior uveitis. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T326288/Posterior-uveitis . Updated October 11, 2017. Accessed December 15, 2017.
Primary open-angle glaucoma. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T114157 . Updated November 22, 2017. Accessed December 15, 2017.
Retinitis pigmentosa. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116916/Retinitis-pigmentosa . Updated August 2, 2017. Accessed December 15, 2017.
Shedding Light on Night Blindness. American Academy of Ophthalmology Eye Smart website. Available at: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/shedding-light-on-night-blindness. Updated September 6, 2016. Accessed December 15, 2017.
Vitamin A deficiency. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116916/Retinitis-pigmentosa . Updated February 16, 2017. Accessed December 15, 2017.
Last reviewed November 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Michael Woods, MD, FAAP