Night Vision (Impaired)

Night vision (impaired) is a problem seeing at night or in areas with low light.

It is treated based on the cause. Eyeglasses, medicine, or surgery may be needed. Some people turn to natural therapies to help improve their vision.

Natural Therapies

May Be Effective

Lutein is a compound found in green vegetables, yellow vegetables, and egg yolks. It may help improve impaired night vision.^A1

May Not Be Effective

Bilberry is a bush with berries and leaves that have been used for health reasons. It may not improve impaired night vision.^A3

Not Enough Data to Assess

Fish Oil ^A2
Vitamin A ^A2

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Herbs and Supplements to Be Used With Caution

Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse.

References►

Herbs and Supplements

A1. Berson EL, Rosner B, et al. Clinical trial of lutein in patients with retinitis pigmentosa receiving vitamin A. Arch Ophthalmol. 2010;128(4):403-411.

A2. Rayapudi S, Schwartz SG, et al. Vitamin A and fish oils for retinitis pigmentosa. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(12):CD008428.

A3. Canter PH, Ernst E. Anthocyanosides of Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) for night vision--a systematic review of placebo-controlled trials. Surv Ophthalmol. 2004 Jan-Feb;49(1):38-50.

Last reviewed November 2019 by EBSCO NAT Review Board Eric Hurwitz, DC Last Updated: 6/10/2020

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