Focus on Halos and Glare

Posted , 4 users are following.

Seems like many of us have had issues with halos and glare of some sort from single or multi focal, acrylic and silicon.  So I am wondering if lens sizing contributes to the issues.

For example say my full dilated pupil size is 8mm, yet surgeon installs a 6mm lens.  Thus in low light, variable lighting, night situations some of the light is passing through no corrected portion of my capsule.  Thus some very blurry vision is mixed into edges of the sharp vision.  CAUSING Halos..and ditto for glare. 

I have been researching Lasik and PRK cornea correction diameters as a cause of halos from those surgeries.  Could same issue with cataract lens size occur in capsul-back side of cornea, from inner replaced lens sizing problem?

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Halos are different for different lenses. For example, with the Symfony lenses, the multiple (ten or so) concentric circles (or halos) are caused by the built-in design feature of the same number of diffraction circles (which give it the extended vision capability). Similarly the multifocal lenses have number of circles or halos corresponding to the number (2 or 3) of focal points they provide. The glare and starbursts are a different issue.
  • Posted

    Most IOLs are 6mm some are even smaller at 5mm.  I don’t believe they make them larger.   

    Good news as we age our pupils dilate less.  

    • Posted

      I found a chart online showing typical pupils size at different ages:

      Eye Pupil Size (mm) versus Age

      Age     Day    Night

      20      4.7     8.0

      30      4.3     7.0

      40      3.9     6.0

      50      3.5     5.0

      60      3.1     4.1

      70      2.7     3.2

      80      2.3     2.5

      Though I measured my own pupil size of my right eye using a magnifying mirror and it seems to be 5mm+ for me and that of course is not near total darkness where it can get even larger, though I am age 63.

      It makes sense the half circle artifact I can see around some lights outside sometimes when its dark enough that my pupil is at its max size is probably due to when the pupil size gets close to the IOL diameter of 6mm.  If the IOL is just slightly off center relative to the pupil center, that would explain why only say the top edge gets exposed enough with max pupil size. Just slightly reducing the pupil size and the artifact goes away, which is most of the time thankfully.

      Hopefully in a few months or a year, my eye's max pupil size will naturally get a bit smaller from more aging and then I shouldn't see that artifact at all then.  I do notice at night with my right eye with the IOL faint cloud halos around traffic lights but it doesn't really bother me significantly.  I suspect halos are more likely due to the cornea that may reduce as it heals more rather than a monofocal toric IOL?

    • Posted

      Thanks Night Hawk -  very helpful and might explain why people adjust more over time with some of these issues. 
    • Posted

      Thanks Night Hawk.  That was a great article.  It also might explain why things, like looking in a pantry, seem dimmer at age 67.  Working under the "bonnet" is harder too.  Thus I have flashlights all around the house. 

      My Halos are entertaining and annoying at same time.  Best I can describe is a foggy night street light glow.

      Thanks Night Hawk.

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