Laser Eye Surgery Can Harm Your Night Vision

Millions of people have laser eye surgery, like LASIK, performed to improve their vision every year. For some, the surgery is successful. Their vision improves to the point where they don’t have to wear corrective lenses any longer. For others, the surgery isn’t so successful. While maybe their vision improves slightly, it doesn’t improve enough to allow them to see clearly without glasses or contacts. Then, there are people whose vision actually gets worse after the surgery. Sometimes the worsening vision is temporary, but other times the changes are permanent.

Loss of Night Vision

There are many side effects of laser eye surgery. They range from minor side effects such as dry eyes to more severe side effects such as complete loss of vision. Laser eye surgery can even affect your night vision. Sometimes, so badly that you won’t be able to drive safely at night anymore.

There are many people who have never had laser eye surgery but still suffer from night blindness. Those who have difficulty seeing clearly at night are often not good candidates for laser eye surgery. Night blindness can occur for a number of reasons such as diabetes, glaucoma, and cataracts. Sometimes it can occur due to other medical issues.

However, there have been reports of people who have had surgery on their eyes and then experienced a loss of vision at night. They were also seeing halos around lights and having blurred vision at night. Sometimes, headlights from oncoming vehicles distort their vision to the point that driving at night is no longer an option.

While losing the ability to see clearly at night is an inconvenience, some people can pretty much go on with life as it was before they had surgery. For others, losing the ability to see at night is a life-changing problem. There are many careers that require good eyesight for the job.

Take, for example, pilots. Pilots must be able to fly at night in order to perform their job. So, having night blindness means the end of their careers. Then there are over-the-road truck drivers who often have to drive through the night to get to where they’re going. Having night blindness means they cannot perform the requirements of their job either. This is also true for police officers whose jobs could be greatly affected by night blindness.

Assessing the Risks

In many cases, people who experienced night blindness after laser eye surgery were not aware that loss of night vision was an aftereffect. This could be because it wasn’t known in the medical community at the time that they had their surgery. Then, there are others who knew that it was a possibility but decided to go ahead with the surgery anyway.

If you are considering having laser eye surgery done, look into all the different options and methods available. Pay careful attention to all the risks, side effects, and aftereffects associated with the surgery. Compare the risks of one type of surgery with the risks of all the others to see which surgical option has the fewest risks.

It may also be a good idea to do quite a bit of in-depth research on laser eye surgery. See what people who have had the surgery performed are saying. What were their experiences like? What type of surgery did they have done? Has their sight improved or gotten worse? There are a lot of stories out there about all of these scenarios.

The FDA recommends carefully looking at and comparing the benefits and the risks associated with laser eye surgery. However, your research shouldn’t stop there. Also, look carefully into information about the equipment that is used for the surgery as well as the manufacturer of said equipment. Even more importantly, be very careful about who to and where you go for the surgery. Do plenty of research into the doctor and medical facility that is offering the surgery.

Improve Your Vision Naturally

Many people don’t realize that it isn’t actually necessary to spend thousands of dollars on a serious medical procedure to correct your vision. There are many ways you can improve your vision on your own from the comfort of your own home. You don’t have to risk making your vision worse or losing it altogether.

The first thing you can do is to eat healthier. Believe it or not, what you eat can and does affect your eyesight. There are so many different nutrients out there that are extremely beneficial for your eyes and your vision. Beta-carotenes, omega-3s, and zinc are just a few of the eye-healthy nutrients you should include in your daily diet.

Eye vitamins can naturally strengthen your eyes and improve your vision over time. For those who have restrictive diets, natural supplements are a convenient solution. You don’t have to eat foods you’re allergic to or dislike to get the nutrients you need. Many people have used eye vitamins to improve their vision so much that they no longer need to wear corrective lenses. And, they’ve done it without harming any part of their vision at all.

In addition to eating cleaner, consider doing eye exercises. Like other muscles, if you don’t use them you lose them. The muscles that control your eyes can become stiff and strained. This is especially true if you work on the computer or read books consistently. To look at an object up-close, the eye muscles must contract. They become more accustomed to seeing clearly up-close, and less so far away. Practice giving your eyes the opportunity to stretch, relax, and flex their muscles. Use the 10-10-10 rule to ensure your eyes have a chance to see at all distances and check out our free eye exercises.

If you want to see better without the help of glasses, contacts, or surgery, consider natural options. It may be worth it to try eating healthier and exercise your eyes before you make the drastic decision to have LASIK. This expensive surgical procedure may do more harm than good. Choose the safest option for improving your vision.