Seeing Halos Around Lights: When Should You Get Your Eyes Checked?

Have you ever looked at a streetlight or car headlight at night and noticed a bright ring or halo around it?

Occasional halos around lights can happen for relatively simple reasons, such as glare, dry eyes, or changes in your glasses prescription. But persistent or newly developed halos can sometimes be linked to conditions affecting the cornea, lens, or other parts of the eye.

The important question is not only why you are seeing halos, but also whether they are accompanied by other changes in your vision.

What Do Halos Around Lights Look Like?

Halos are rings, circles, or glowing areas that appear around a light source. They are often easier to notice at night when there is a strong contrast between bright lights and a dark background.

You may notice them around:

• Streetlights
• Car headlights
• Traffic signals
• Indoor lamps
• Phone or computer screens

Some people see halos occasionally, while others notice them regularly or experience them along with glare, blurred vision, or difficulty seeing at night.

Dry Eyes Can Make Lights Look Different

One common reason for temporary halos and glare is an irregular or unstable tear film over the surface of the eye.

When your eyes are dry, the tear layer may not spread evenly across the cornea. This can affect how light enters the eye and may make bright lights appear hazy or surrounded by glare.

Dry eye symptoms may also include:

• Burning or stinging
• A gritty sensation
• Redness
• Watery eyes
• Fluctuating vision
• Eye fatigue

If halos improve after blinking or using doctor-recommended lubricating eye drops, dry eye may be contributing to the problem.

An Outdated Glasses Prescription Can Cause Glare

Changes in your refractive error can affect how clearly light is focused.

If your glasses or contact lens prescription is no longer appropriate, you may notice blurry vision, glare, or halos, particularly at night.

An eye examination can determine whether your prescription has changed and whether another cause may be contributing to your symptoms.

Cataracts Can Cause Halos

A cataract occurs when the natural lens inside the eye becomes cloudy.

As the lens becomes less clear, light may scatter rather than passing cleanly through it. This can result in symptoms such as:

• Halos around lights
• Glare
• Blurred or hazy vision
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Faded or less vivid colors

Cataracts are more common with increasing age, although they can develop for other reasons as well.

Corneal Problems Can Affect How Light Enters The Eye

The cornea is the clear front surface of the eye. Because it plays an important role in focusing light, changes in its shape or clarity can affect vision.

Certain corneal conditions can cause glare, halos, blurred vision, or visual distortion.

An ophthalmologist can examine the cornea and determine whether its shape, surface, or clarity may be contributing to your symptoms.

Can Glaucoma Cause Halos?

Some forms of glaucoma can be associated with seeing halos, particularly when there is a sudden rise in eye pressure.

An acute angle-closure glaucoma attack can cause severe eye pain, redness, blurred vision, halos around lights, headache, nausea, or vomiting. This is an eye emergency and requires immediate medical attention.

Not everyone who sees halos has glaucoma. However, new visual symptoms should not be self-diagnosed, especially when other symptoms are present.

Contact Lenses Can Also Play A Role

Contact lenses can sometimes contribute to halos and glare if they are dirty, damaged, poorly fitted, or not being used as recommended.

Dryness associated with contact lens wear can also affect the tear film and visual quality.

If halos develop while wearing contact lenses, your eye doctor can assess your lenses, eye surface, prescription, and overall eye health.

When Should You Get Your Eyes Checked?

It is a good idea to schedule an eye examination if halos:

• Are new or becoming more frequent
• Persist even when you are well rested
• Affect your night vision
• Occur with blurred or distorted vision
• Are accompanied by eye discomfort or redness
• Develop after an eye injury or procedure
• Occur with other changes in your vision

A comprehensive eye examination can help determine whether the cause is related to the eye surface, prescription, lens, cornea, eye pressure, or another part of the visual system.

When Are Halos An Emergency?

Sudden halos accompanied by severe eye pain, marked redness, blurred vision, headache, nausea, or vomiting require urgent medical attention.

These symptoms can occur with acute angle-closure glaucoma, which needs prompt treatment to reduce the risk of serious vision loss.

Similarly, sudden loss of vision, a sudden increase in flashes or floaters, or a curtain-like shadow over your vision requires immediate eye evaluation.

What Happens During An Eye Examination?

Your ophthalmologist may check your visual acuity, eye pressure, cornea, lens, pupils, and the internal structures of the eye.

Depending on your symptoms, additional testing may be recommended.

The examination helps identify whether the halos are associated with a correctable refractive issue, dry eye, cataract, corneal condition, glaucoma, or another eye problem.

Don't Ignore A New Change In Your Vision

Seeing an occasional halo around a bright light does not necessarily mean something is wrong. But if halos are new, persistent, worsening, or accompanied by other visual symptoms, an eye examination can help identify the cause.

Rather than assuming the problem is simply tired eyes or an incorrect glasses prescription, it is better to have persistent changes assessed by an eye specialist.

Get Your Vision Checked When Halos Keep Appearing

Halos around lights can have several causes, and the right approach depends on what is happening inside or on the surface of your eye.

Dr. Vanuli Bajpai can assess your vision and eye health, identify possible causes of halos, and recommend appropriate evaluation or treatment based on your symptoms.

If you have persistent halos, worsening night vision, glare, or other changes in your eyesight, schedule an eye examination to understand what may be causing them.

FAQs

Q: Is seeing halos around lights always a sign of an eye problem?

A: No. Halos can sometimes occur because of dry eyes, glare, contact lenses, or changes in a glasses prescription. Persistent or new halos should be evaluated if they continue or occur with other visual symptoms.

Q: Why do I see halos around lights at night?

A: Halos can be more noticeable at night because bright lights stand out against a darker background. Dry eyes, refractive errors, cataracts, corneal changes, and certain eye conditions can contribute.

Q: Can dry eyes cause halos?

A: Yes. An unstable tear film can affect the way light passes through the surface of the eye, causing glare, halos, or fluctuating vision.

Q: Can cataracts cause halos around lights?

A: Yes. Cataracts can cause light scattering, which may lead to glare, halos, blurred vision, and difficulty seeing clearly at night.

Q: Are halos around lights a symptom of glaucoma?

A: Halos can occur with certain forms of glaucoma, particularly acute angle-closure glaucoma. Sudden halos accompanied by severe eye pain, redness, blurred vision, headache, nausea, or vomiting require immediate medical attention.

Q: Should I see an eye doctor if I suddenly start seeing halos?

A: Yes, particularly if the halos are persistent, worsening, or accompanied by pain, redness, blurred vision, flashes, floaters, or other changes in eyesight. Sudden symptoms may require urgent assessment.