Dim Vision

After being outside in bright sunlight, we often experience a brief moment of dim vision when we first come inside. When our eyes have had a few seconds to adjust, the problem corrects itself because our pupils dilate to take in more light, and the pigment in the rods of our eyes regenerates.

Pupils which do not dilate, or which contract when they should not, can cause persistent or sudden and inappropriate dim vision. Pupil dilation and contraction problems can be caused by glaucoma, inflammation of the optic nerve, certain medications, recreational drugs, toxins, Horner's syndrome, and certain diseases, such as syphilis.

Rods are the photoreceptors used to see in dim light. Certain conditions of the eye, such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration cause degeneration of the rods and therefore cause dim vision and difficulty seeing in low light. Vitamin A deficiency can also cause degeneration of the rods.

Clouding of the lens of the eye can prevent enough light from getting in. Cataracts and other conditions of the eye can cloud the lens.

To learn more about vision disorders, click here to visit The LASIK Directory.