Ask An Optometrist

Question:

“Dr. Kim – I don’t drive that much – only when I have to and recently I noticed I cannot drive at night with my contacts on, because there is a glare. I will have to use my eyeglasses. Is this something that can be fixed, or do I just wear glasses when driving, period?” – Kymberle L.

Answer:

Hi Kymberle,

Night driving glare can be caused by many factors, but if it is improved with the eyeglasses and not with the contacts, you may have astigmatism that is currently not corrected with your contacts, i.e., single vision contacts.

Glasses typically contain the full prescription, whereas with the contacts, if the amount of astigmatism is at minimal or at borderline, sometimes patients can derive a functional vision with the single vision contacts without correcting the astigmatism.

However, that residual uncorrected astigmatism can reduce the sharpness of vision along with posing a glare problem, accentuated at night driving.  You may benefit from toric contact lens that would correct the astigmatism, if it is available in your prescription.  You should inquire about that option with your eye doctor.

As to the eyeglasses, putting anti-reflective coating (Neverglare Advantage®) would help to further reduce the glare as well.

Hope it helps.

Good luck.

Dr. Grace Kim

Grace M. Kim, O.D.

Clinical Advisor Panel Chair for America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses

Dr. Kim received her Doctorate from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Prior to entering optometry school, she worked as a research biologist at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She was involved in electron microscopy, ultramicrotomy and immunocytochemistry, in which fields she received acknowledgments and co-authored presentations, abstracts, and articles which were published in the Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. Following graduation, Dr. Kim joined National Vision’s America’s Best Contacts and Eyeglasses. Since 2007, Dr. Kim served as Chairperson on Clinical Advisory Panel. She is also a Doctor Mentor in which position she trains newly hired doctors and assist in conducting performance reviews on the Peer Review Committee.