If this happens when driving at night, you may need to see eye doctor
As we get set to "fall back" on our clocks this weekend, prepare for it to get darker earlier, highlighting some debilitating eye issues that can be a danger on the roads.
With night driving, nobody sees as well in the dark as they do in daylight, said Dr. Joseph Calderone of Better Vision New Jersey. Even if you can get by without glasses in the day, you'll definitely need them at night.
There's blurry vision and there's glare issues and frequently the glare issue stems from blurry vision, said Calderone. The most common reason why people can't see as well at night is because light tends to compensate for a multitude of vision problems.
Fatigue is another problem when it comes to night driving. Calderone said you may drive in the dark in the morning but your eyes are rested so it's not as hard to see during those early hours. But at night, you're bleary-eyed after a long day.
Dry eye is a problem in general and it makes fatigue worse. But Calderone said all you need is a drop of artificial tears and your eyesight will improve.
If a person is experiencing glare during night driving, he said the fix could be as simple as a prescription adjustment.
But there are risk factors that are medical, such as cataracts. When you have a cataract, which is an imperfection in your eye's lens, and you encounter oncoming headlights, those lights get sprayed all around the inside of your eye. A little bit of glare gets bent out shape and hard to see, said Calderone. Your view out the windshield is starburst as a result.
Diabetes also makes for a harder night commute. As your retina gets badly damaged from the disease, your ability to adapt to a different light setting is hampered.
Calderone said there are over-the counter glasses with a yellow lens you can buy to help with night vision. But he says it will only help with fatigue, dry eye or routine glare. They will not help with cataracts or diabetes.