Trouble Seeing at Night or With Glare? Causes and What Helps

Why night vision fades

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) notes that some decline in night vision is a natural part of aging. It also says there are no home treatments or exercises that improve night vision. The way to protect it is to find and treat whatever is behind it, and several of the common causes are very treatable.

Common causes of poor night vision and glare

• Cataracts. The AAO says trouble seeing or driving at night can be one of the first symptoms. Cataracts can make vision dim and increase glare, halos or streaks around headlights and streetlights. Surgery replaces the cloudy lens.
• An outdated prescription. Uncorrected nearsightedness makes night vision blurry, just like daytime vision.
• Macular degeneration (AMD). The National Eye Institute (NEI) lists trouble seeing in low light as a possible sign of intermediate AMD.
• Glaucoma, which affects both daytime and nighttime vision as parts of the retina stop working.
• Past laser eye surgery (LASIK or PRK), which can cause more glare or halos at night.
• Vitamin A deficiency, where night blindness is one of the first signs, though it’s rare in the U.S.

For daytime blurriness too, see our guide to blurry vision after 50.

Safer night driving

An ophthalmologist writing for the AAO says these simple steps address most night vision concerns:

• Clean your windshield inside and outside. The inside is the side people forget.
• Keep wipers in good condition and wipe road grime off your headlights.
• Keep your glasses clean and have your prescription checked regularly.

If night vision problems persist after that, see an ophthalmologist, since they can point to cataracts or glaucoma.

What doesn’t help: yellow night-driving glasses

Yellow or tinted “night driving” glasses promise less glare, but they work by letting less light into your eyes. At night, that makes it harder to see, not easier. The AAO doesn’t recommend them, and a study it highlighted found yellow lenses didn’t help drivers spot pedestrians at night or reduce problems with headlight glare.

Vitamin A and night blindness

Night blindness is one of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency, which is why vitamin A is often marketed for night vision. But the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that true deficiency is rare in the U.S., because most people get enough from food. Taking more than you need doesn’t sharpen night vision, and too much preformed vitamin A from supplements can be harmful.

If a vision supplement lists “vitamin A” as beta-carotene, smokers and former smokers have an extra reason for caution: beta-carotene was linked to higher lung cancer risk in smokers, which is why the AREDS2 formula dropped it. More in our guide to AREDS vs AREDS2.

Where a supplement fits

No supplement will clear a cataract or restore night vision. Bilberry, the herb most often sold for night vision, didn’t hold up: the more rigorous placebo-controlled trials were negative.

What has some evidence is narrower. Lutein and zeaxanthin, taken daily for a year, improved how quickly the eyes recovered from bright light and improved contrast, although glare disability itself didn’t significantly change. If recovering after oncoming headlights is your main complaint, that’s the ingredient pair with evidence. These two products contain it; neither publishes all its doses.

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