Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesTreatmentPreventionWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Treatment
Prevention
When to See a Provider
Seeing halos around lights is common when looking directly at headlights or lamps, especially at night. Sometimes these halos are harmless and just a typical response from the eye or may even be simply a result of wearing glasses or contact lenses.
However, halos can be a concern when other symptoms happen at the same time. They could be a side effect of other diseases, such ascataracts.
This article looks at some of the medical reasons why you might see halos around bright lights. It also discusses treatment for the conditions that may cause you to see halos.
Bernhard Lang / Getty Images
Cataracts
Seeing halos is one of the most common symptoms of cataracts, especially in posterior subcapsular cataracts. This type of cataract causes light sensitivity, blurred near vision, and glare and halos around lights. It is more common among people who havediabetesor who have been taking steroids for extended periods of time.
Fuchs' Dystrophy
This disease makes the cornea swell, causing the light to bend when entering the eye. It is a hereditary, progressive disease of the cornea.
In the early stages of this condition, excess fluid builds up overnight and causes blurry vision upon awakening. The blurry vision may improve over the course of a few hours. In later stages, the blurry vision will last longer, sometimes for most of the day.
Other symptoms of Fuchs' dystrophy include:
Fuchs' Dystrophy is more common in people 50 years old or over.
Glaucoma
Seeing halos around lights is one of the symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma, a type of glaucoma in which there’s high and sudden pressure in the eye due to the inability of fluid to leave the eye properly. This condition is considered an emergency and can lead to blindness within days if not treated.
Migraines
Some people who get a migraine might experience a phase before the migraine attack called migraine aura, in which they have vision disturbances that could include seeing halos around lights. The period can last anywhere from five minutes to an hour and the symptoms may change during that time.
LASIK
AfterLASIK surgery, it’s common to see halos around lights, most often at night or in dim light. This is a side effect of your eyes trying to adjust to your newly shaped cornea. Vision issues typically last for a couple of weeks and then resolve on their own.
Dry Eye Disease
It is not uncommon that the eye’s superficial part becomes irregular when it is too dry. The unusual shape will often affect how the eye receives light and, as a result, the person starts seeing halos around bright spots. Dry eye can also cause redness, burning, pain, and stinging.
Photokeratitis
Seeing halos could be a sign of photokeratitis, a condition that occurs when unprotected exposure to ultraviolet radiation damages the outer cells of the cornea. Most often people get this painful condition from the sun reflecting off of snow or water. It usually clears up on its own within a couple days.
One way to prevent seeing halos around lights is to try to avoid developing the underlying conditions that cause it. Some of these conditions, such as cataracts and Fuchs' dystrophy, can’t be fully prevented, but taking care of your eyes and body can help protect against disease in general. Strategies include:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Although many people believe that seeing halos around bright lights is not a problem, it is always good to make an appointment for aneye examwith anoptometristorophthalmologistto have your eyes checked out even if you don’t have any other symptoms. It is the only way to be sure that the halos you are seeing are harmless.
Symptoms like blurred vision, eye pain, weak night vision, blind spots, and dry, red, and itchy eyes are red flags. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
Eye Exams Are Now Recommended Every Year—But Do You Really Need One?
Summary
Seeing halos around lights is not a disease, but it can be the first sign that something is not well with your eyes. This type of vision change can be a symptom of cataracts, glaucoma, migraine, dry eye disease, or another condition.
Treatments for these conditions include eye drops, medication, and in some cases, surgery. While in some cases there’s no way to fully prevent these conditions from developing, taking care of your eyes in general can help.
If you’re seeing halos around lights, it’s best to schedule an appointment with an eye care professional. If a medical condition is causing these halos, this can help you get diagnosed and treated early.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Heruye SH, Maffofou Nkenyi LN, Singh NU, et al.Current trends in the pharmacotherapy of cataracts.Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020;13(1):15. doi:10.3390/ph13010015Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fuchs' dystrophy.MedlinePlus.Glaucoma.American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine with aura.American Academy of Opthalmology.Photokeratitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Cataract surgery: risk, recovery, costs.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Fuchs' dystrophy?Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology.Halos around lights.Cornea Research Foundation of America.Fuchs' dystrophy.Eghrari AO, Riazuddin SA, Gottsch JD.Fuchs corneal dystrophy.Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;134:79-97.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Heruye SH, Maffofou Nkenyi LN, Singh NU, et al.Current trends in the pharmacotherapy of cataracts.Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020;13(1):15. doi:10.3390/ph13010015Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fuchs' dystrophy.MedlinePlus.Glaucoma.American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine with aura.American Academy of Opthalmology.Photokeratitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Cataract surgery: risk, recovery, costs.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Fuchs' dystrophy?Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology.Halos around lights.Cornea Research Foundation of America.Fuchs' dystrophy.Eghrari AO, Riazuddin SA, Gottsch JD.Fuchs corneal dystrophy.Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;134:79-97.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Heruye SH, Maffofou Nkenyi LN, Singh NU, et al.Current trends in the pharmacotherapy of cataracts.Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020;13(1):15. doi:10.3390/ph13010015Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fuchs' dystrophy.MedlinePlus.Glaucoma.American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine with aura.American Academy of Opthalmology.Photokeratitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Cataract surgery: risk, recovery, costs.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Fuchs' dystrophy?
Heruye SH, Maffofou Nkenyi LN, Singh NU, et al.Current trends in the pharmacotherapy of cataracts.Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020;13(1):15. doi:10.3390/ph13010015
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fuchs' dystrophy.
MedlinePlus.Glaucoma.
American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine with aura.
American Academy of Opthalmology.Photokeratitis.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Cataract surgery: risk, recovery, costs.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Fuchs' dystrophy?
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Halos around lights.Cornea Research Foundation of America.Fuchs' dystrophy.Eghrari AO, Riazuddin SA, Gottsch JD.Fuchs corneal dystrophy.Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;134:79-97.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Halos around lights.
Cornea Research Foundation of America.Fuchs' dystrophy.
Eghrari AO, Riazuddin SA, Gottsch JD.Fuchs corneal dystrophy.Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;134:79-97.
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