“When I drive in the dark, I see poorly. Am I night blind?'
Night blindness is rare
The chance that you are really night blind is small. Neurophysiologist Maarten Kamermans:'Medical night blindness is rare in the Netherlands. It is simply never completely dark here. You are only night blind if you really can't see anything anymore only by starlight.'
But why do you see so badly?
Night blindness is often confused with stray light. This condition that deprives night vision is very common in the Netherlands.
What is stray light?
Scattered light is caused by minor damage to our eyes. We can see them because our eyes transmit an image to the brain. To properly project this image, your eyes contain a lens system; which consists of the cornea and the lens of the eye. The lens system is not completely clean with stray light.
Don't panic! Our eyes are made of biological material and this material is simply not as clear as glass. It contains structures, such as proteins, that make images on the retina cloudy. This creates a haze around the image we see. These light streaks blind us, making us see worse.
Dazzled faster You can compare scattered light with a dirty car window. When the light of opposing headlights shines on a window with dried raindrops, for example, the light is reflected and you can no longer see clearly. If the glass is clean, you will see a lot clearer. That's exactly how it works with your eyes.
Scattered light has nothing to do with good eyes
Scattered light is nothing to worry about. Even people with good eyesight suffer from it. But people whose lens system is affected by, for example, cataracts or impaired vision, are more likely to be blinded. They can suffer up to twice as much from stray light as people with good eyesight.
What can you do about stray light?
Only an artificial lens could remedy stray light. This procedure is performed on people with cataracts. In most cases, it is especially important that you have your eyes checked regularly. Your vision at night may be slightly different than during the day. With good glasses, stray light could decrease. Please do not wear contact lenses in the car. They can irritate your cornea. Your eyes see that as imperfection, which creates more scattered light.
