Astigmatism and Effective Eyewear: Improving Your Nighttime Visibility

Do you have trouble seeing at night? Then your nighttime visibility could be affected by a common condition known as Astigmatism. This is where there is a refractive error of the eye where the cornea or lens is irregularly shaped. The irregular shape means that when light enters the eye it causes it to focus on multiple points rather than a single point in the retina leading to blurred or distorted vision, especially at night. Find out what astigmatism looks like, how it affects night vision, and how to improve your night vision in our guide below. 

What Does Astigmatism Look Like?

• Blurred vision - One of the main symptoms of astigmatism is the blurring of objects at any distance. For example, this could be when reading a book, watching TV, or looking at a distant object, everything appears fuzzy.

• Distorted shapes - Stretched and skewed shapes are also a symptom of Astigmatism making objects appear misshapen or uneven. 

• Double vision - In some cases, it can cause the brain to receive multiple images in each eye resulting in double vision. 

Stigmatism Vs Astigmatism 

Astigmatism and stigmatism are often confused sometimes. The term stigmatism doesn’t specifically relate to vision but is used to describe a type of physical marking or spot in medical and scientific fields. It is often misspelled and mistaken for astigmatism. Astigmatism on the other hand is an eye condition that directly impacts the clarity of vision and is corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery.

How Astigmatism Affects Night Vision 

Halos Around Lights

The appearance of halos or rings around headlights, street lights, and other bright light sources can be an effect of astigmatism since light is scattered in your eye. This can make it harder to see clearly and distort vision in low-light environments. 

Starbursts 

The appearance of starburst patterns around lights happens because the irregular shape of the cornea causes light to scatter in multiple directions. This creates the effect of rays radiating out from bright light sources. 

Reduced Contrast Sensitivity 

Astigmatism can make it harder for your eye to distinguish between objects in low light conditions which makes it difficult to see clearly at night. 

How to Improve Night Vision with Astigmatism

Astigmatism doesn’t have to limit your vision, the following ways can be used to help improve and correct your eyesight. 

Corrective Eyewear For Astigmatism 

• Specialized lenses - Cylindrical lenses are designed to help your eyes focus light more evenly on the retina and correct distortion caused by an irregular shape of the eye. 

• Anti-glare coatings - These help reduce halos and starbursts you may see around lights.

Transition Lenses For Day To Night Comfort 

If you're finding it difficult to see at night then transition lenses may be a perfect solution since they can help reduce glare while keeping sharp vision in low-light environments or when night driving for example. 

Surgery 

Surgery such as LASIK or PRK can permanently reshape the cornea to get rid of astigmatism. Ongoing treatments like orthokeratology are non-surgical, it works by wearing gas-permeable lenses overnight to help reshape the cornea. 

Keep Your Lenses Clean 

Dirty lenses make glare worse and reduce overall visual clarity. Keeping your lenses clean will make it easier to see at night

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Support Your Night Vision With GlassesShop 

It is essential to choose eyewear that supports your unique needs if you're suffering from astigmatism and night vision problems. GlassesShop has specific lenses made for tackling night vision clarity and support prescriptions. Our affordable high-quality eyewear has everything from anti-glare to anti-scatch coatings and transition lenses to improve clarity. Plus, we have amazing deals on such as our $5.95 glasses, glasses for under $20 and your first pair free! Find our whole range of eyewear here to see what suits your vision best.