Night blindness is the inability to see in the dark or in low and dim lights. People who have night blindness take a longer period to adjust to dark or dim lights. They face problems day to day basis like driving doing any work in dark light, they can’t even see stars in the sky. It can cause to any age group of people. There are many reasons for night blindness. It is often a symptom for eye disorders. Read more Nyctanopia commonly known as night blindness
Retina has two types of photoreceptors cone cells and rod cells. Cone cells are responsible for color vision and work in bright lights, whereas rods work in dim lights and they are present in the periphery of the retina. Rod cells are very important at night for vision.
Night blindness mainly is caused due to Retinitis pigmentosa and continental. It is also caused due to retinol (vitamin A) deficiency which is very rare and can be treated retina
Retinitis pigmentosa is the condition in which the rod cells in the retina gradually lose their ability to respond to the light, people with this condition experience night blindness and eventually, their daytime vision may also be affected.
In x linked congenital disorder night blindness is observed since birth and it stays life long. In this condition, the rods do not work properly or do not work at all. There is no treatment for this condition, it stays and doesn’t become worse either
Treatment and prevention
There is no treatment for genetic night blindness; there are only safety measures to take care. It is important not to drive during nights, it’s always advised not to be alone in isolated areas due to improper vision.
Night blindness caused due to vitamin A deficiency can be treated by rich supplement of vitamin A substances like fresh fruits, fish, liver, fresh vegetables.
How to Prevent Harm Due to Night Blindness
According to the Council of National Safety (NSC), death rates in the traffic is three times greater at night-time than compare day. Driving at night-time is more dangerous because a driver’s capacity to react depends on vision, & healthy vision has severely restricted at night. Older drivers have even higher difficulty seeing during night-time. A fifty-year-old driver will require twice as much light to see c thirty-year-old.
The best method to protect yourself from harm due to-night blindness is to bypass driving during night-time and drive only at the day time. People with night blindness can have trouble driving even in a well-lit city. If you need to go out at night, you have to take steps to protect yourself. Improve your visibility by washing your car windows & headlights, & slow down to give yourself more time to respond to any unanticipated hazards.