Vitamin A Tips

The retina is the layer of the cells which lies in the back of the eyeball. This layer acts as the surface of image formation when the light enters into the eye. When light is reflected onto the retina, optic nerve connected to these cells send impulses to the brain and recognize the image.

In the normal functioning of the eye, the eyes quickly adjust to the light modulation in the surroundings which is sensed by the retina. It is when retina cells lose their ability to sense the change in the light that causes blindness.

Night blindness is characterized by the impaired vision in the dark or in the dim light. This condition is caused by improper functioning of the particular vision cells of the retina.

Causes

Night blindness or nyctalopia can occur due to various conditions that degenerated the rods of the retina part of the eye. This condition is not a disease in itself but a symptom of an underlying disease of the eye. Some of them are as follows:

Inherited degeneration of the retina (Retinitis Pigmentosa)

Deficiency of Vitamin A

Myopic condition of the eye

Deficiency of Zinc

Glaucoma

Cataracts

All of these causes reflect the condition of night blindness.

Symptoms

Night blindness causes difficulty to interpret the dark surroundings. One can identify night blindness if one is suffering from:

Eye pain

Headache

Vomiting

Nausea

Cloudy vision

Insensitivity to light

Reduction in the field vision

Apart from the medicinal to cure for this condition, there is a mention of treating this condition in Ayurveda as well.

Night Blindness Treatment in Ayurveda

Ayurveda is based on the balance of three doshas in our body: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Any disruption in these doshas calls for the improper functioning of the body and various ailments as well. Similarly, the disturbance in the balance of three doshas in the eye results in vision problems.

Ayurvedic treatment for the condition of night blindness is mainly executed in two stages, the purification and rejuvenation. For the purification method, various ayurvedic techniques are used such as Snehapana, Swedana, Vasthi, Abhayangam, Virechana, and Nasya to detoxify the body of impurities. The aim of this method is to stabilize the balance of the three doshas.

Next, for the rejuvenation process, the patient is administered with various kinds and combination of ayurvedic Rasayanas. The rejuvenation process provides nourishment to the retina and hence restores the vision.

Take Away

Apart from the ayurvedic method, the patient can include wood apple (IBael, or Aegle marmelos), bilberry, Vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables, rue herb, and zinc supplements as home remedies for improving the night vision.

Night blindness is caused by improper functioning of the retina. It is rather a symptom of the underlying eye condition. Ayurveda is a natural and harmless way to improve and restore the night vision.

Night blindness is also called nyctalopia.It's a type of vision impairment. People with night blindness experience poor vision at night or in dimly lit environments. It is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem, usually a retina problem.

What Causes Night Blindness?
A number of eye conditions can cause night blindness, including:
1. Nearsightedness or blurred vision when looking at faraway objects.
2. Cataracts or clouding of the eye's lens.
3. Retinitis pigmentosa, which occurs when dark pigment collects in your retina and creates tunnel vision.
4. Vitamin A Deficiency
5. Zinc Deficiency
6. Dry Eyes
7. Diabetes

Are the Symptoms of Night Blindness?
The sole symptom of night blindness is difficulty seeing in the dark. You're more likely to experience night blindness when your eyes transition from a bright environment to an area of low light, such as when you leave a sunny sidewalk to enter a dimly lit restaurant. You're likely to experience poor vision when driving due to the intermittent brightness of headlights and streetlights on the road.

How can I Prevent Night Blindness?
You can't prevent night blindness that's the result of birth defects or genetic conditions, such as Usher syndrome. You can, however, properly monitor your blood sugar level and eat a balanced diet to make night blindness less likely.

Orange colored foods are excellent sources of vitamin A, including:
1. Cantaloupes
2. Sweet potatoes
3. Carrots
4. Pumpkins
5. Butternut squash
6. Mangoes

What are the Treatment Options for Night Blindness?
The treatment will depend on its causes.
1. Nutrient deficiency (Vitamin A and Zinc) is the easiest to treat.
2. If the cause is cataract, you can go for cataract surgery to remove the clouded lens and replace it with artificial intraocular lens. Vision is usually dramatically improved after surgery.
3. For dry eye syndrome, lubricate your eyes with artificial tear drops as they provide instant relief. Just make sure that they are without preservatives.
4. Diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with tight control over blood sugar, active lifestyle and good dietary habits.
5. As for retinitis pigmentosa, unfortunately there are no treatments available. Thankfully, new research is showing that vitamin A might have a slowing effect on the progression of this eye disease.

Night blindness is also called nyctalopia.It's a type of vision impairment. People with night blindness experience poor vision at night or in dimly lit environments. It is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem, usually a retina problem.

What Causes Night Blindness?
A number of eye conditions can cause night blindness, including:

Nearsightedness or blurred vision when looking at faraway objects.
Cataracts or clouding of the eye's lens.
Retinitis pigmentosa, which occurs when dark pigment collects in your retina and creates tunnel vision.
Vitamin A Deficiency
Glaucoma
Zinc Deficiency
Dry Eyes
Diabetes
Symptoms of Night Blindness-
The sole symptom of night blindness is difficulty seeing in the dark. You're more likely to experience night blindness when your eyes transition from a bright environment to an area of low light, such as when you leave a sunny sidewalk to enter a dimly lit restaurant. You're likely to experience poor vision when driving due to the intermittent brightness of headlights and streetlights on the road.

How can I Prevent Night Blindness?
You can't prevent night blindness that's the result of birth defects or genetic conditions, such as Usher syndrome. You can, however, properly monitor your blood sugar level and eat a balanced diet to make night blindness less likely.

Orange colored foods are excellent sources of vitamin A, including:

Cantaloupes
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Pumpkins
Butternut squash
Mangoes
What are the Treatment Options for Night Blindness?
The treatment will depend on its causes.

Nutrient deficiency (Vitamin A and Zinc) is the easiest to treat.
Treatment of glaucoma by medicines, laser or surgery will help.
If the cause is cataract, you can go for cataract surgery to remove the clouded lens and replace it with artificial intraocular lens. Vision is usually dramatically improved after surgery.
For dry eye syndrome, lubricate your eyes with artificial tear drops as they provide instant relief. Just make sure that they are without preservatives.
Diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with tight control over blood sugar, active lifestyle and good dietary habits.
Retinitis pigmentosa is hereditary in nature.
Research in stem cell therapy will help in retinitis pigmentosa .
As for retinitis pigmentosa, unfortunately there are no treatments available. Thankfully, new research is showing that vitamin A might have a slowing effect on the progression of this eye disease.

Usher syndrome is a genetic disorder that is characterized by complications in vision and hearing; the most common of them being partial/complete loss of hearing and retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is characterized by progressive deterioration of the retina, resulting in deprivation of peripheral vision and subsequent night blindness.

The symptoms and its rate of progression usually vary among people. Usher syndrome is classified into three types:

Type 1: In this type, children are born with balance issues and hearing loss problems. The symptoms of night blindness and loss of peripheral vision associated with Retinitis Pigmentosa only appear in the early stages of adolescence.
Type 2: In type 2, children are born with moderate to mild hearing loss problems. Retinitis Pigmentosa develops soon after the child reaches adolescence.
Type 3: In type 3 Usher Syndrome, children are usually born with normal hearing skills, however, loss of hearing and Retinitis pigmentosa occur soon after puberty.
Causes
Hearing loss in Usher syndrome occurs when the nerve cells that are present in the cochlear (inner ear s spiral cavity) are affected by genetic mutation. A similar problem occurs in the cells of the retina leading to loss of vision. These cells allow conversion of light into electrical signals for the brain to interpret them. Both the parents need to pass the mutated gene to the child for it to be affected. If the child has only one gene, then he/she rarely develops the symptoms.

Treatment
This disorder does not have any prescribed course of treatments. The vision loss that occurs in this disorder can be slowed down by nutritional therapy. This therapy involves providing the body with essential amounts of vitamin A which can help in reducing vision loss.

Night blindness is also called nyctalopia.It's a type of vision impairment. People with night blindness experience poor vision at night or in dimly lit environments. It is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem, usually a retina problem.

What Causes Night Blindness?
A number of eye conditions can cause night blindness, including:

Nearsightedness or blurred vision when looking at faraway objects.
Cataracts or clouding of the eye's lens.
Retinitis pigmentosa, which occurs when dark pigment collects in your retina and creates tunnel vision.
Vitamin A Deficiency
Zinc Deficiency
Dry Eyes
Diabetes
Are the Symptoms of Night Blindness?
The sole symptom of night blindness is difficulty seeing in the dark. You're more likely to experience night blindness when your eyes transition from a bright environment to an area of low light, such as when you leave a sunny sidewalk to enter a dimly lit restaurant. You're likely to experience poor vision when driving due to the intermittent brightness of headlights and streetlights on the road.

How can I Prevent Night Blindness?
You can't prevent night blindness that's the result of birth defects or genetic conditions, such as Usher syndrome. You can, however, properly monitor your blood sugar level and eat a balanced diet to make night blindness less likely.

Orange colored foods are excellent sources of vitamin A, including:

Cantaloupes
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Pumpkins
Butternut squash
Mangoes
What are the Treatment Options for Night Blindness?
The treatment will depend on its causes.

Nutrient deficiency (Vitamin A and Zinc) is the easiest to treat.
If the cause is cataract, you can go for cataract surgery to remove the clouded lens and replace it with artificial intraocular lens. Vision is usually dramatically improved after surgery.
For dry eye syndrome, lubricate your eyes with artificial tear drops as they provide instant relief. Just make sure that they are without preservatives.
Diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with tight control over blood sugar, active lifestyle and good dietary habits.
As for retinitis pigmentosa, unfortunately there are no treatments available. Thankfully, new research is showing that vitamin A might have a slowing effect on the progression of this eye disease.

Night blindness is also called nyctalopia.It's a type of vision impairment. People with night blindness experience poor vision at night or in dimly lit environments. It is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem, usually a retina problem.

What Causes Night Blindness?
A number of eye conditions can cause night blindness, including:

Nearsightedness or blurred vision when looking at faraway objects.
Cataracts or clouding of the eye's lens.
Retinitis pigmentosa, which occurs when dark pigment collects in your retina and creates tunnel vision.
Vitamin A Deficiency
Zinc Deficiency
Dry Eyes
Diabetes
Are the Symptoms of Night Blindness?
The sole symptom of night blindness is difficulty seeing in the dark. You're more likely to experience night blindness when your eyes transition from a bright environment to an area of low light, such as when you leave a sunny sidewalk to enter a dimly lit restaurant. You're likely to experience poor vision when driving due to the intermittent brightness of headlights and streetlights on the road.

How can I Prevent Night Blindness?
You can't prevent night blindness that's the result of birth defects or genetic conditions, such as Usher syndrome. You can, however, properly monitor your blood sugar level and eat a balanced diet to make night blindness less likely.

Orange colored foods are excellent sources of vitamin A, including:

Cantaloupes
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Pumpkins
Butternut squash
Mangoes
What are the Treatment Options for Night Blindness?
The treatment will depend on its causes.

Nutrient deficiency (Vitamin A and Zinc) is the easiest to treat.
If the cause is cataract, you can go for cataract surgery to remove the clouded lens and replace it with artificial intraocular lens. Vision is usually dramatically improved after surgery.
For dry eye syndrome, lubricate your eyes with artificial tear drops as they provide instant relief. Just make sure that they are without preservatives.
Diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with tight control over blood sugar, active lifestyle and good dietary habits.
As for retinitis pigmentosa, unfortunately there are no treatments available. Thankfully, new research is showing that vitamin A might have a slowing effect on the progression of this eye disease.