Myth or Fact: Can LASIK Eye Surgery Help Improve Night Vision? 

LASIK Eye Surgery: LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) is a type of laser eye surgery that can help correct your vision so that you no longer need to rely on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK is specifically used to treat conditions caused by the shape or size of your eyes’ corneas, such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (near and distant blurred vision).

Corneas are the dome-shaped clear tissue at the front of your eyes. When your corneas are misshapen or improperly sized, it affects the way light refracts in your eyes, which is why your vision is impacted. LASIK eye surgery corrects these conditions using a special type of laser, which cuts and alters the shape of the corneas.

After receiving LASIK eye surgery, your vision will be perfect or nearly perfect once again since your corneas’ new shape will allow for light to refract properly.

Common Myths About LASIK Eye Surgery

Just like many other surgical operations, LASIK eye surgery has its fair share of myths and misunderstandings. However, if you are considering getting LASIK done, it is important that those myths are cleared up, so you have a clear understanding of what to expect. Although some people believe LASIK can be a painful procedure, that is not true. Your pain will be managed thanks to numbing eye drops. Most patients feel nothing more than some slight pressure during the vision correction procedure.

Another common misunderstanding is that LASIK takes a long time to recover after the surgery. That is also untrue. In fact, the LASIK recovery time is much faster than most serious surgical procedures, and the majority of patients can return to their normal routine after a mere 24 hours. Some people even believe that LASIK can cause blindness when, in reality, the opposite is true. Millions of LASIK procedures have been completed over the last few decades, and nobody has ever gone blind afterward.

However, LASIK patients’ vision is typically radically improved almost instantly. Those who believe LASIK is only for elderly people are also wrong since the procedure is commonly performed on patients ranging from 18 to 75. It is also true that LASIK can help treat multiple different conditions rather than just one, as some people may have heard.

Once you realize that all of the myths about LASIK lack any factual backing, hopefully, it will seem less scary, and it will be easier to come to terms with getting the procedure done.

Common Causes of Night Vision Issues

Do you ever experience trouble with your vision at night or in dimly lit places? Nyctalopia (night blindness) is a symptom that can stem from numerous retinal issues. If you have myopia (nearsightedness), your chance of experiencing night blindness is higher. If you have glaucoma, you may also tend to struggle with your night vision since the pressure caused by this condition puts pressure on your eye, damaging your optic nerve.

As well, glaucoma medication can lead to night blindness due to the constriction of your pupils that it causes. If you have cataracts, your vision will gradually become more clouded and distorted, and this will especially affect your ability to see in low-light settings. Since retinitis pigmentosa contributes to a loss of visual sharpness, it could also have similar effects.

If you have diabetes, you may be more prone to night vision complications. Since diabetes causes high blood pressure, it is natural for the blood vessels and nerves in your eyes to get damaged over time. Lastly, if your body is deficient in vitamin A, you may also have night blindness, especially if you have undergone intestinal bypass surgery in the past.

Does LASIK improve night vision? 

No matter what may have led to your experience with night blindness, it is never a condition that is easy to deal with. In fact, it can put your safety at risk, especially in situations where you need to drive at night. Fortunately, LASIK eye surgery can make a big difference in correcting most night vision issues you may be experiencing.

Especially in cases where it is a refractive error in your eyes that is causing your night blindness, LASIK will completely rectify the problem. The LASIK surgical procedure is typically completed in 30 minutes or less, and you will recover very fast, too.

It is important to know that immediately after undergoing LASIK, you may experience limited night visibility for the first few days or weeks. However, this is only temporary, and it is a natural part of the healing process. Once your eyes are completely healed, your night vision will likely be better than ever before.

Why LASIK Could Be the Night Vision Solution for You

Seeing clearly at night is never as easy as seeing during the day, but some people struggle with this much more than others due to certain conditions in their eyes. Fortunately, many of those conditions can be corrected by LASIK eye surgery, which is a quick and simple procedure that can do wonders for your visibility, not just at night, but all the time.

Although myths still exist about LASIK being a painful or scary procedure (among other misunderstandings some have about this surgery), all of these misconceptions have been disproven. LASIK is a perfectly safe and painless procedure that is relatively noninvasive, meaning if you have it done, you will be back to your normal routine almost right away.

However, your new and improved vision will certainly make life easier from that point forward. If you would like to go through life without having to worry about limitations caused by your vision, then consider LASIK eye surgery. You will not regret it.

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