Poor night vision — what's causing it?

Pupils dilate in low light, exposing optical imperfections — astigmatism stretches headlights into starbursts, cataracts scatter glare, dry eye causes fluctuating blur, and early post-LASIK healing can add temporary halos. Pattern and age help distinguish causes; only an eye test confirms.

Yes — uneven corneal curvature stretches point light sources. Headlights and streetlights often streak or starburst in one direction. Many patients report the biggest quality-of-life gain after wavefront LASIK or SMILE is safer night driving.

Yes — lens clouding scatters light. Oncoming headlight glare, halos around lights, and dull colours are classic cataract symptoms. Cataract surgery with a clear IOL replaces the clouded lens — laser cannot treat cataracts.

Temporary halos and glare in the first weeks to months are common after LASIK and SMILE — usually improving as the cornea heals. Persistent severe symptoms are uncommon. Wavefront-guided treatment and treating dry eye reduce bother. Tell your surgeon if symptoms worsen after initial improvement.

Trifocal IOLs can cause structured halos initially — most patients adapt within 4–8 weeks. EDOF lenses trade some reading independence for smoother night vision. Night driving is a key lifestyle question before lens choice; read trifocal vs EDOF before deciding.

Seek urgent same-day care for sudden vision loss, new flashes with floaters, a curtain across vision, or severe pain with blur. Gradual worsening over months with glare may be cataracts; long-standing starbursts often trace to astigmatism — book a routine eye test to confirm.