Glare/halos at night

I've noticed glare from bright lights (streetlamps and headlights) at night a lot lately. I always wear either contacts or glasses, but after some trouble with my contacts lately I'm usually just wearing glasses all the time now (My eyes are -6 and -3.5). I don't see anything weird or new during the day or indoors at night. Only outside when it's dark.

Do others who wear eye glasses see a lot of glare at night? I don't think I got glare coating on my eyeglass lenses, but I can't remember. I did go in for a checkup about 2 weeks ago because of contact lens irritation. I have a follow-up full exam in 2 weeks. Other than lens overwear, nothing abnormal was documented when I went in. I have extremely dry eyes and I use artificial tear drops a lot during the day and a gel at night, while sleeping.

I really can't tell if I am just really "tuned in" to glare because of my recent eye irritation, or if this is something new. Does anyone else see a lot of glare with eyeglasses? Is that common?

Oh, 26yo female; otherwise in great health and I have yearly eye MD checkups. Thanks!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Your problem can be due to many things: corneal disease, corneal warpage due to contracts (this can take several months to go away after stopping contacts), cataracts and retinal disease.

It can also come from visual abberations exacerbated by the big difference in the thickness of your glasses from eye to eye (aneisometropia).

Assuming you see a Eye MD ophthalmologist and have a normal exam it would be reasonable to try an antireflective coating and perhaps one of the new aspherically ground abberation reducing lens such as made by Zeiss.

Also treat your dry eye vigorously (use archives to read how to do that).

JCH MD

[hopefullyhypochondriac]

Thanks for your input. Last year I switched to Acuvue Oasys 2-week disposables because the Focus Dailies I had been using did not fit properly and my eyes are chronically dry. The Contact Lens specialist at my MD's office checked the topography of my eye and said something about mild astigmatism and warpage (I think) due to bad contact fit and dry eye. Things had been better the past year with the new lenses, but I also didn't wear contacts nearly as often.
I'm afraid I may be one of the unlucky people who just have difficulty wearing contacts. Maybe it's time to get a consulation for laser correction. . . .

Thanks again

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Lasik is usually a very "happy" procedure.

JCH MD