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What Driving In Fall and Winter Can Tell You About Your Need For Vision Correction Surgery

man driving in winter

Less Daylight Means Vision Struggles, But There Is a Solution

Driving during the fall and winter pose significant challenges. We have to remain as alert as possible to avoid the difficulties posed by fog, rain, sleet, ice, and snow. However, these obstacles may not be the biggest hurdle. We also experience far less daylight during these months, and these dim and dark conditions often expose vision problems that you may not have known were there.

If you find yourself squinting while you drive, you’re unable to see clearly on the road, or if the glare from headlights and streetlamps bothers you, you may need to make a change. Keep reading to find out whether fall and winter driving are affecting your vision and what you can do about it, including undergoing laser eye surgery.

How Driving At Night Or Under Difficult Conditions Lets You Know Your Vision Is Changing

You might recognize certain symptoms for the first time while driving at night. If you notice any of these symptoms, it may be time to contact a vision specialist:

  • A decrease in vision
  • Blurry vision
  • Glare or halos around headlights or streetlights
  • Difficulty reading signs
  • Difficulty seeing pedestrians

During the fall and winter months, driving at night is far worse. It’s more likely that you’ll be driving in poorly lit conditions and experiencing the aforementioned symptoms. If you have trouble with rain, ice, and snow during the day, imagine how much more treacherous these conditions will be at night.

What Might Be Causing Your Night Driving Symptoms?

The symptoms you’re experiencing may be an indicator of a vision-related condition.

  • Cataracts: As your natural eye lens ages, it becomes cloudy, hardened, and yellow. This eye condition causes blurry and dim vision, especially at night.
  • Glaucoma: This condition is defined by intraocular pressure, which causes damage to the optic nerve.
  • Macular degeneration: Caused by the deterioration of the retina, this condition is common as people age.
  • Diabetic retinopathy: Prolonged high blood sugar levels due to diabetes can damage blood vessels in the eyes.
  • Astigmatism: This condition occurs when the shape of your cornea is curved differently from the typical eye shape. It can affect one or both eyes, distorting your vision, causing eye strain, and more.
  • Presbyopia: The aging of the eyes, which tends to develop after age 40.

Before any of these symptoms or conditions seriously affect your safety, the safety of your loved ones, or other drivers on the road, you have a chance to take action. For some of these conditions, this includes seeking laser vision correction near you.

Vision Correction Surgery For Night Driving In Any Season

If you’re experiencing vision challenges while driving at night or in inclement weather, make an appointment with an ophthalmologist right away. Your eye doctor can recommend treatments and lifestyle changes to lessen the symptoms.

If you are diagnosed with cataracts, presbyopia, or astigmatism, you also have options that include working with a laser vision correction provider. You can ask a refractive surgeon for a free analysis of your eyes to determine your eligibility.

A laser vision correction specialist will not be able to help with glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy, however.

If you qualify for vision correction,these procedures are available for those with presbyopia, cataracts, and astigmatism.

  • Solutions for presbyopia: People over 40 who are experiencing symptoms of aging eyes may consider a vision procedure called refractive lens exchange (RLE). In 10 to 15 minutes, your eye care provider will insert an artificial lens in your eye to replace your aging lens. You can even get lenses that help you see near, far, and at a middle distance depending on how you shift your eye. What’s more, RLE also prevents cataracts from forming.
  • Solutions for cataracts: Cataracts refer to the dysfunction of your natural eye lenses. Much like RLE, refractive cataract surgery replaces these lenses with artificial ones. These are also available as multifocal lenses to improve your vision at all distances.
  • Solutions for astigmatism: Several vision correction procedures take care of astigmatism, including LASIK, EVO ICL™, SMILE vision correction, and RLE, depending on your additional needs and the recommendation of your laser vision provider.

Instead of a laser vision correction, these solutions may help improve your nighttime vision:

  • Multifocal glasses or contacts to help you see clearly at near, middle, and far distances
  • A stronger prescription to temporarily combat the effects of emerging cataracts

Discover a Vision Correction Solution That Works For You

The last thing you want is to continue driving unsafely during the darkest and most hazardous months of the year. If you’re struggling with nighttime driving, it’s likely that trying to see in dim light is causing you difficulties outside of the car, too. You may have noticed that reading in dim light is more of a challenge or spending time outdoors after dark isn’t ideal for your vision.

Glasses, contacts, or laser vision correction procedures for eligible conditions, such as presbyopia, astigmatism, or cataracts, can change your experience and enhance your quality of life in the process.

To find out which laser eye surgery solutions will give you the power to drive safely at night in all seasons, including fall and winter, explore these articles: