Night Blindness

As the Days get shorter night Vision will become an important part of our daily routine!

The ability of our eyes to quickly view objects as they shift from light to dark areas and the ability to see in dim light or at night is an important part of our visual health. When we are not able to do such, the condition is referred to as "Night Blindness", and occurs as a result of various diseases that cause degeneration of the rods of the retina (the sensory cells responsible for vision in dim light). The problem can also appear as an inherited deficiency in visual purple, or rhodopsin, which is the pigment of the rods of the retina. The abnormality can also result from vitamin A deficiency. Rhodopsin, maintains its photosensitivity only in the presence of vitamin A.

Xerophthalmia is a more advanced form of the effect of Vitamin A deficiency on our eyes. In that disease, the eyes become excessively sensitive to light, and in addition production of tears is markedly decreased, which prevents the normal lubrication of the eye. This leads to ulceration and infections of the eye.

Sources of Vitamin A are: animal livers, milk, and yellow and green
leafy vegetables which contain carotenes, that are chemically related substances that are converted to vitamin A in the body.

For more, please visit the Vitamins and Calcium Supplements Center.