Night Blindness Causes & Risks

Causes

There are several common causes of night blindness:

Lack of vitamin A, which can cause a disorder of the retina and make the eyes very dry
Cataracts , which are cloudy areas in the lens of the eye
Some forms of retinal degeneration, such as retinitis pigmentosa
Trouble adjusting from low levels of light to high levels of light
Certain medications
Birth defects

Risk Factors

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition. Some risk factors for night blindness include:

Age: elderly people are more likely to have cataracts
Genetics: retinitis pigmentosa
Diet: people who don’t eat enough sources of vitamin A, such as green leafy vegetables, eggs, and whole milk products (vitamin A deficiency is very rare in the US, but still occurs in certain less developed countries)
Disorders that affect the ability of the body to absorb vitamin A:
- Liver disorders
- Surgery on the pancreas or liver
- Intestinal conditions
- Bowel surgery for obesity

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