Night blindness: causes and treatment

Night blindness is a type of visual impairment that appears on the patient especially in the dark. In this article, we will learn about night blindness, its causes, symptoms, and treatment methods in Turkey.

Night blindness is a symptom of another underlying disease that affects vision, and it is not a problem in itself. The problem with the disease that causes it, causes some people to have difficulties seeing at night or in poor lighting conditions. There are many possible causes and treatment depends on the exact identification of these causes.

What is night blindness disease?

Nyctalopia, also known as night blindness, is a impairment in the patient's ability to see at night or in dim lighting (for example, in the cinema).

The human eyes adapt to changes in light constantly in the physiological state, usually at night or in the dark, the pupils dilate, which helps to enter more light into the eyes, and then the retina (a network of cells or visual receptors that includes cones and rods) receives this light.

Rods and cones are photosensitive cells; The cones help to distinguish colors, while the sticks have a role in seeing in the dark.

Night blindness is often associated with an inability to adapt quickly when moving from well-lit environments (light or day) to poor light conditions.

Nyctalopia is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying eye disease, usually a defect in the retina (due to a disorder of the function of the canes) or visual problems such as nearsightedness.

Night blindness symptoms

Night blindness is itself a symptom, and a night-blind patient may suffer from the following problems:

• Poor vision at night: Affected people have an inability to see in a dark environment (difficulty driving or recognizing faces at night) and stumbling on objects while moving because they cannot be seen.
•  Keratitis: Patients at night may develop keratitis, the symptoms of which include dryness and irritation of the cornea.
• It takes a long time to adjust the visual ability when changing the lighting.

  

Causes of night blindness

There are many possible causes for this disease, and here are the most common causes of night blindness:

• Low vision problems such as nearsightedness (myopia)
• Glaucoma (high intraocular pressure) or medications used to treat it that constrict the pupils
• Cataract (cataracts)
• Deficiency of some vitamins such as vitamin A deficiency, especially in individuals who have undergone intestinal bypass surgery
• diabetes
• Keratoconus, meaning the cornea becomes conical
• Astigmatism
• Genetic causes (hereditary night blindness), as in retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disease that can be partially stopped by Stem Cell Therapy.
• Uveal melanoma (the most common type of eye cancer)

To determine the cause of your nyctalopia, your doctor will perform a comprehensive eye exam, which may order several pictures and tests.

will help you Bimaristan Medical Center To choose the best eye hospital with the latest equipment in Turkey.

Treatment of night blindness disease in Turkey

Treatment for night blindness depends on the cause. Treatment may be as simple as getting new glasses or contact lenses to improve vision, treat low vision, or switch glaucoma medications.

The treatment may require surgery as well as an operation LASIK To correct the shape of the cornea or if night blindness is caused by cataract.

When night blindness is caused by a vitamin A deficiency, treatment will require the introduction of vitamin A into the diet.

It is not possible to treat hereditary night blindness as in retinitis pigmentosa, as there is currently no treatment for this condition, but numerous studies It still exists in this regard.

If you have retinal disease, treatment will depend on the type of disease and will require additional examination by a retinal specialist.

Night blindness cannot be cured at home, and early medical advice is necessary to provide appropriate treatment, if any.

Prevention of night blindness

You can't prevent night blindness caused by birth defects or genetic problems, but you can control your lifestyle. Try the following to prevent night blindness:

• Eat foods rich in vitamin A: carrots, melon, spinach, milk, eggs, pumpkin, mango, liver.
• Make sure to eat a regular diet that contains minerals, vitamins and antioxidants to avoid cataracts.
• Monitor your blood sugar frequently for fear of developing diabetes.
• Get regular eye exams: Early detection is the best treatment.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun's harmful rays; Ultraviolet radiation increases your risk of cataracts, macular degeneration and glaucoma.
• Exercise: Exercising may reduce the risk of eye disease, by lowering eye pressure and blood sugar levels.