Nyctalopia: Enemy of night vision

 

                                

                        NYCTALOPIA: ENEMY OF NIGHT VISION

Nyctalopia also known as commonly Night blindness refers to inability of person to see in poor light. Its not exactly blindness but we can assume as kind of temporary blindness when it gets dark. Person suffering from this disorder won’t be able to see properly. Persons suffering from night blindness do have problem in driving in dark or night time.
Few people have problem in seeing in dim light and for some it becomes impossible to see in dim light .This is because of this disorder named as Nyctalopia or night blindness.

Now question arises what are the causes behind this disorder. There are two types of cells in retina responsible for vision, rods for night vision and cones for color identification and day time vision. Causes underlie in the degeneration of rod cells present in retina of eye rods cells have pigment rhodopsin, which is a highly light sensitive protein that converts light into electrical signal and visual pathway completes. If this pathway or rhodopsin synthesis get effected because of any reason it may lead to inability to see in dim light.

Causes of night blindness may be :

·       Retinitis Pigmentosa: mutation in rhodopsin gene.

·       Vitamin A (Retinol) deficiency

·       Birth defects

·       Cataract: cloudiness of lens

·  Drugs like Quinidine, isotretinoin also found to be responsible for causing nyctalopia.

Prevention and management:

·       Vitamin A rich diet : Colored fruits & vegetables specially carrots.

·       Bright lightening in dark

·       Avoid driving in at night time

·       Regular eye consultation to see the impairment

In this way it can be called as enemy of night vision and we can conclude  that not treatment but prevention and management is more applicable in control of Night blindness .

DEEPTI M SATI