Why do headlights look like halos or cause glare?
Halos and glare around bright lights at night can come from corneal irregularities, cataract, dryness, an uncorrected astigmatism, or the healing phase after refractive surgery. They are a symptom, not a diagnosis.
- Subject
- Vision problems
- Topic
- Blur, night vision & strain
- Kind of question
- Why…
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
In the context of laser surgery, night vision symptoms are one of the most commonly reported side effects early on, and they frequently reduce over months. Persistent or worsening symptoms should be assessed.
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Vision problems & prescriptions in Blur, night vision & strain . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- Post-LASIK dry eye disease: A comprehensive review of the current literature
A review of dry eye after LASIK, including the mechanisms involved and how other procedures compare in the published literature.
Used for Balanced comparison of dry-eye risk between procedures.
Link checked 22 September 2026