How to Improve your Night Vision
Almost everyone's vision is slightly more impaired at night than it is during the day. However, some of us have more trouble seeing at night than others. Fortunately, there are some steps that can be taken to improve your ability to see in low light conditions. First and foremost, it is important to have regular eye exams conducted so that any optical disorders that could be causing decreased night vision can be quickly diagnosed and treated. After ruling out serious vision disorders and following any advice given by your ophthalmologist, consider the following to learn how to improve night vision.
A few tips that can help you temporarily improve your night vision:
Pre-Adjusting Your Pupils
Part of the reason why it becomes so difficult to see at night is the stark contrast between artificial lighting and the darkness of the outdoors at nighttime. One way to temporarily avoid suddenly impaired night vision is to close or squint your eyes before entering a dark area. This will give your eyes time to slowly adjust and take in whatever light is available. This trick works well when exiting a building, or when riding through a tunnel (hold one of your eyes closed so that it does not have to readjust to the darkness when exiting the tunnel).
Close Eyes and Apply Pressure
One technique used by some members of the military is the "close and squeeze" technique, in which you close your eyes as tightly as possible and then apply pressure with your palms on both eyes for 5 to 10 seconds, or until the back of your eyelids become lighter in color. It is important to note that looking at light after this maneuver will completely negate the effects.
Avoid Light Exposure
While this may seem counterintuitive, it is imperative to avoid looking towards the direction of any sources of light while trying to see in low light conditions. Doing this will cause your eyes to rapidly adjust to the high levels of light, resulting in significantly impaired vision when you turn to look at something less illuminated. The key to maintaining optimal night vision is preventing your pupils from contracting by allowing them to become accustomed to low-light conditions.
While the above tips can only provide temporary assistance, the following suggestions may help you permanently improve your night vision:
Utilize Your Peripheral Vision
Surprisingly, humans can see better in the dark using their peripheral vision than we can looking directly at an object. The reason for this is the difference between the optical efficiency of cells within the retina. The eye consists of two types of cells – rod and cone. Cone cells are effective at detecting color differences, while rod cells are able to detect movement and spot objects in low-light conditions. Both of these cell types are found throughout the eye, except for an area behind the center of the eye called the fovea, which primarily contains cone cells. Thus, a higher concentration of low-light sensing rod cells are found in the areas of our eyes responsible for peripheral vision. By learning to utilize your peripheral vision you can become less dependent on central vision, which is naturally less effective at seeing in the dark.
Bilberry Supplements
Bilberries are one of the most renowned folk remedies for improving vision, and have recently garnered scientific attention due to their high levels of anthocyanosides - flavanoids that aid in the regeneration of eye pigments that help you see in the dark. Studies have shown that taking 2 to 3 tablespoons of bilberry juice each day can significantly improve night vision. It should be noted that if bilberry juice is taken in doses higher than this it can act as a laxative.
Vitamin A and Zinc Consumption
Studies have shown that one of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency is difficulty seeing at night. Thus, it may be possible to improve night vision by consuming more vitamin A in foods such as fruits and vegetables (particularly carrots, squashes, and peppers), dairy, eggs, fish, and poultry/fish/beef organs. Zinc is another nutrient that is vital for optimal vision, and some experts believe that just 15 to 30 mg per day can help significantly improve night vision. It should be noted that zinc supplementation may decrease your body's copper level, so it may be wise to supplement with 1-2 mg of copper simultaneously.
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