1. When Night Falls, so Does Vision
If you're one of the millions of people who have noticed that the stars in the sky seem dim, you might be a victim of night blindness. Night blindness takes a lot of the enjoyment from looking at moonlit skies and can be downright scary when you're behind the wheel of a car. It's not just outdoors either, but in any location with dim light. Night blindness appears in seniors most often, so aging and vision problems seem to go hand in hand. For example, a pigment in the retina called rhodopsin allows nerve impulses to travel from the eyes to the brain. As you get older, you have less rhodopsin. Poor blood circulation to the eyes also might lead to night blindness.
2. Take a Leaf out of Bugs Bunny's Book
Remember how old Bugs was always munching on a carrot? Bugs Bunny had no night blindness because of the Vitamin A in carrots. Vitamin A is one of the most important nutrients for vision; in fact, you'll find the all important pigment rhodopsin in Vitamin A. Other Vitamin A rich foods include other yellow or orange vegetables like squash and pumpkin, and don't forget dark green and leafy vegetables like spinach for a good serving of Vitamin A. You can also find Vitamin A supplements at the health food store, but be careful that you don't overdo.
3. See Your Ophthalmologist
Because other conditions can also lead to night blindness, you need to see your eye doctor with any vision problems or changes. For example, early detection of glaucoma increases your chances of saving your vision. Since so many people with night blindness are also myopic (nearsighted), make certain your prescription is accurate.
4. Eat Blueberries for Better Night Vision
People in Europe once believed that eating bilberries, a version of the blueberry, would improve night vision. In fact, British Royal Air Force pilots have eaten bilberry preserves to get ready for flying at night. Naturopaths believe there is some truth to this and often recommend that people drink at least 16 ounces of fresh blueberry juice daily to improve nighttime vision. Some people have trouble tolerating pure blueberry juice and mix it with pear or pineapple juice.
5. Watch for Other Aging Related Vision Loss
Night blindness in seniors is one of many aging related vision problems that can affect you after age 50. Cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy strike millions of Americans. Scientists predict that macular degeneration, a problem that affects central vision, will affect over six million older people by the year 2030. The best thing you can do is to see an ophthalmologist regularly as you grow older because many vision problems are treatable. In addition to surgery and laser treatment, medical studies indicate that gene therapy might have applications for age-related vision loss.
