It is completely natural for human beings to have a short aversion to sunlight when coming out of a dimly lit setting like a movie theater. Your eyelids will instinctively close up and your pupils will get smaller in these situations.
When someone has photophobia (also known as light sensitivity), it causes similar symptoms, but to a much higher degree. In severe cases, photophobia can prevent a person from partaking in daily activities.
What Causes Light Sensitivity?
There is an extensive list of list sensitivity causes ranging from eye conditions, neurological conditions, medications, and other conditions. Most of the causes stem from eye-related conditions. The many conditions and other factors that can cause light sensitivity include:
Eye Conditions
- Dry eye
- Inflammation from autoimmune conditions
- Ocular albinism
- Aniridia
- Conjunctivitis
- Corneal disease
- Corneal abrasion
- Corneal Infections
- Cataracts
- Iritis/Uveitis
Neurological Conditions
- Traumatic brain injury
- Blepharospasm
- Damage to the thalamus
- Progressive supranuclear palsy
- Migraine headaches
Medications
- Tropicamide
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Methylphenidate zoledronate
- Lithium
- Haloperidol
- Chloroquine
Other Conditions
- Allergies
- Mental health conditions
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
Photophobia Symptoms
Typically photophobia isn’t a condition in itself, it is a symptom of another issue. The symptoms stemming from issues with light sensitivity can manifest physically or can be internal for the person. Some physical symptoms include redness, itching, or swelling.
Other symptoms that others can’t see are pain in the eye, nausea or dizziness, headache or neck stiffness, blurred vision, numbness or tingling elsewhere in the body.
Dry Eye
Dry eye happens when tears aren’t capable of providing your eyes with enough moisture. The risk of developing dry eye rises as a person gets older. The eyes may become irritated, red, or inflamed.
Uveitis
Uveitis is inflammation of the middle layer of your eye. This can happen when the immune system is fighting inflammation in the body and the eye. This can also happen when the immune system attacks the healthy tissue of the eye.
Keratitis
Keratitis is inflammation or even infection of the cornea. Eye redness, pain, and blurred or decreased vision are the common symptoms. Medical attention is needed as fast as possible to avoid loss of vision.
Iritis
Iritis is defined by inflammation in the colored part of the eye, causing symptoms like light sensitivity, eye pain, headaches, and decreased vision.
Cataracts
Cataracts are cloudy areas that can develop in the lens of your eye. Most cataracts develop slowly over the years. Having cataracts can be like looking through a cloudy window. When cataracts hinder one’s vision enough then cataract surgery can be performed to place intraocular lenses.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is a very common irritation or inflammation in the white part of your eyeball. Conjunctivitis is highly contagious, and people should avoid using contact lenses while affected by conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis can resolve on its own but treatment will speed up the process.
Blepharospasm
Blepharospasm is the involuntary movements of the eyelid, and in severe cases, squeezing or closure of the eyelids. Blepharospasm is most commonly found in middle-aged and older women but can be found in anyone, at any age.
How To Fix Light Sensitive Eyes
There are several paths in trying to fix your light-sensitive eyes. The first step should be visiting an optometrist or ophthalmologist, determining the root cause, and creating a treatment plan going forward. Treatment plans commonly used to fix light-sensitive eyes include:
- Artificial Tears. Since the most common cause of photophobia is dry eye, oftentimes using over the counter tears regularly can help tremendously.
- Medication changes. Changing your medication is one of the most common treatments for light sensitivity. Your medication has possibly caused this issue, and by talking to your doctor, changing the dosage of your medication or changing the medication as a whole might fix your eyes’ light sensitivity issues.
- Antibiotics. An infection or corneal issue can be treated by the use of antibiotic eye drops.
- Anti-inflammatory treatments. When inflammation has directly affected your eye’s light sensitivity, treatment and management of the inflammation can be combated with medication.
Astigmatism Light Sensitivity
Astigmatism is a problem in the eye that prevents incoming light rays from being focused correctly. This is known as a “refractive error” due to the shape of the cornea at the forefront of the eye not being shaped as perfectly round but curved like a rugby ball. This creates a lack of focus and blurry vision that is different from being short or long-sighted.
A mild condition of astigmatism is nothing major to worry about, as the brain compensates for the condition for the difference between the two eyes.
FAQ about Light Sensitivity
Can photophobia cause blindness?
Photophobia itself cannot cause blindness, but other symptoms of eye-related diseases can cause blindness.
Is photophobia permanent?
Most photophobia isn’t permanent. If your photophobia comes from a congenital disorder, your provider can help manage your photophobia. If it doesn’t originate from a congenital disorder, it most likely can be treated.
What is the difference between photophobia and photosensitivity?
Photophobia is your eyes’ sensitivity to light while photosensitivity is your skin’s sensitivity to sunlight due to an immune system issue or drug reaction.
Are photophobia and phonophobia related?
While photophobia is the sensitivity to light, phonophobia is the fear of sound or abnormal sensitivity to sound. While they are not related, they may appear together because of medical disorders like migraines and brain injuries.
Can photophobia cause dizziness?
Photophobia can cause dizziness along with certain conditions may trigger dizziness because of bright or flashing lights.
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