Trouble seeing at night? Try these coping suggestions.

Cats, owls, raccoons and deer – these are among the many animals which have exceptional night vision. We humans aren't included on this list. Our eyes contain only a part of the visual machinery needed to see well at the hours of darkness, and our limited ability deteriorates with age (see “How our night vision changes”). The resulting poor night vision sets us up for difficulty driving at night or stumbling in a dark room, which might result in accidents and injuries.

How are you able to stay protected? There is not any medical treatment to revive night vision, but the next methods may help.

Treat underlying conditions. Dry eyes and cataracts (clouding of the lens contained in the eye) make it difficult to see at night. Their treatment should improve night vision.

Have a flashlight handy. Get a flashlight app in your smartphone or carry a pocket-sized flashlight in the event you need assistance seeing where you are walking.

Turn on the lights. “Consider adding more lamps to brighten up your home, and install night lights throughout the house. For reading, I recommend gooseneck lamps, which can be easily adjusted,” says Dr. Atalia. Also: Keep window shades or blinds open in the course of the day.

Keep your glasses on. Wash lenses frequently, and take them to an optician to remove minor scratches or add anti-reflective coatings that reduce headlight glare.

Keep your windshield and headlights clean. Even a bit of dirt or dust could make it difficult to see the road at night. Wash your automotive, and keep the windshield washer fluid level high.

Adapt your night driving. Dim the lights in your dashboard, which creates glare. When oncoming traffic headlights are distracting you, search for right lane markings. Use the night setting in your rearview mirror. “And use familiar roads and well-lit streets, which will be easiest to navigate at night,” suggests Dr. Italia.

What if this strategy doesn't work? “It may be that you just need to limit driving to daytime hours,” says Dr. Italia. “It hurts, but it's better to be safe.”

How does our night vision change?

We need at the very least some light (like moonlight) to see at the hours of darkness. We also need the flexibility to make use of this light: the attention collects and focuses the sunshine and sends signals to the brain, which converts the sunshine into images. Age-related changes can affect this process. Here are some examples:

We lose light-sensitive eye cells (photoreceptors). Very sensitive photoreceptors called rods are essential for night vision. The variety of rods in our eyes decreases with age.
Our pupils are getting smaller. Pupils – small holes that appear like black dots – allow light to enter the attention. The size of the pupil (and the quantity of sunshine that enters) is controlled by the muscles of the iris (the coloured a part of the attention). “These muscles weaken with age, making the pupils smaller and less light coming into the eye. Therefore, you need more light to see comfortably,” explains Dr. Haley Italia, an ophthalmologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye & Ear.
Our eyes react more slowly to changes in light. At any age, photoreceptors need time to regulate after we see brilliant headlights or after we move from a brilliant room to a dark room. In older people, this process takes longer.
The lenses of our eyes turn out to be cloudy. “The lens inside each eye undergoes microscopic changes over time that eventually lead to a cloudy lens known as a cataract. Even early changes, before a cataract, cause light to scatter as it enters the eye, reducing vision or causing glare around headlights or street lights,” notes Dr. Italia.
Our eyes turn out to be dry. As we become old, we make fewer tears, which might irritate the outer surface of the attention (the cornea) and scatter incoming light. “Dry eyes are especially noticeable at the end of the day and can cause glare or blurred vision at night,” says Dr. Italia.
Our vision becomes impaired. Vision deteriorates with age, making it difficult to see at night. “If you're lucky and still have 20/20 vision at age 70, it probably won't be as sharp as it was 50 years ago. Your remaining photoreceptors are less dense and aren't able to perceive fine detail,” notes Dr. Italia.