Blind at Night

About the Symptom

Night blindness does not mean you can't see at night, but that the vision is poorer then. It is not a disease in itself, but instead is a symptom of some other type of vision problem. It can also be a sign of vitamin A deficiency.

When to See a Doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Diarrhea
• Unilateral blindness
• Visual field defect
• Blurring of vision

Possible Causes

Generally, Blind at night can be related to:

• Retinitis pigmentosa

  An inherited degenerative disease affecting the retina, the nerve layer lining the back of the eye. It causes loss of night and side vision.

• Cataracts

  Degeneration of the lens inside the eye causes it to become opaque. As a result, lights appear glaring and vision becomes blurred. In older adults, cataracts are usually caused by aging. In children, however, they may be due to genetic conditions, drugs, or viral infections while in the womb.

• Age-Related Macular Degeneration

  An eye condition that causes a "hole in the center" when looking at things. It is caused by damage to the central retina (sensing layer of the eye). Causes include aging, smoking, and genetics.

• Macular Edema
• Central Retinal Vein Occlusion
• Chronic Pancreatitis
• Severe Myopia

Related Serious Diseases

Sometimes, Blind at night may be related to these serious diseases:

• Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

  The retina is a thin layer of tissue lining the back of the eyes, responsible for converting light signals into images in the brain. The retina has one main artery that supplies it with blood and a vein that carries blood away. When the central retinal artery gets blocked, the retina loses blood supply and will start to die. Symptoms include vision changes and vision loss that needs to be emergently addressed. Risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels. In some cases, a tendency to form blood clots (hypercoagulability) may be present.

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Do you experience difficulty seeing in the dark?
• When did you first notice difficulty seeing in the dark?
• How has night blindness changed since it started?
• How does your night blindness affect your daily life?

Find Similar Symptoms

References

• Night vision blindness - American Academy of Ophthalmology

  https://www.aao.org/eye-health/symptoms/night-vision-problem