Imagine if someone tries to clap just in front of your eyes, your eyes blink in a fraction of a second. That's because your body has this natural instinct to protect your vital organ eye from the warning signs of damage.
People start first off with discomfort or a kind of deep pain behind the eyes when sudden intense exposure to light sources. It can be something more extreme and disturbing. Some of the common symptoms people have is the aversion to bright lights, often having the need to cover their eyes or even squinting in condition as such.
Don’t confuse Photophobia with the fear of light. Its term is called heliophobia that we call for the fear of light. Photophobia is in fact a medical term called for someone’s hypersensitivity to light.
Sometimes our eyes even water when exposed to bright light. There is even something called a Bell’s phenomenon (or reflex) which is also called a palpebral oculogyric reflex says Dr. Allen from Doctor Eye Health.
“Before even I have access to sunglasses I would often walk around with one eye closed 'cause it kinda halved the amount of light energy entering into the visual system,” continues the Dr explaining his early signs of photophobia.
It is a fascinating mechanism for how your eyes roll upward or downward whenever your eyes sense an immediate sense of danger.
These are his insights that we could not agree more on as photophobia compels us to sometimes squint, close our eyes, or cover our eyes with a blanket when our sibling or room partner turns the light on in the morning, every one of us is bothered by that.
It can be due to irritation of contact lenses or scratches on the eyes. One with dry eye syndrome can also experience photophobia. If any eye disease causes pigment loss in the back of the eyes, like albinism or Retinitis Pigmentosa one can experience photophobia.
The ocular manifestations of light sensitivity are many but for an ideal treatment option, make sure you contact Vision Concern Clinic which can be of great help.
There are chances that the inferior part of the cornea is likely to be damaged from abrasion, scratch, or something like that if you have these experiences. It can be a sign and indication to get your eye checked.
If it has to do with eyes, those who have inflammation of the eyes face such a problem. Light sensitivity is more likely to happen after an eye surgery or if someone has an existing eye disease like uveitis. This term stands for an extreme form of inflammation inside the eye.
Insufficient tear production can make the eyes more sensitive to light. This can make your eyes prone to bright light and make your eyes even more irritated.
Clouding of the lens can increase sensitivity to glare. It is scientifically found that contrast sensitivity is lower in patients with cataracts. The significant glare is often reported in those with posterior subcapsular cataracts (PSC).
Even those with wedge-shaped opacities (cortical cataracts) report significant contrast sensitivity.
The inflammation of the conjunctiva can disrupt normal visual processing and increase sensitivity to light. When our eyes become pink (technically red) we often feel there is heightened sensitivity as our photoreceptors are more charged than usual.
Light sensitivity can be related to some eye conditions or eye diseases. But it can also happen because you have problems in the brain or the central nervous system.
Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition where the patient mainly feels recurrent episodes of severe, electric shock-like pain.
In the scientific report, they exemplify how even people who are blind can be light-sensitive. They thereby conclude that photophobia also manifests because of the excitation of the trigeminal nerve.
Extreme lights with flickers can cause migraine to you. Even those with migraines complained of triggers after walking into the shopping mall (with fluorescent lights).
Up to 80% of individuals with migraines experience photophobia, both during and between migraine episodes. Among them, only 40%of people who suffer from migraines have light sensitivity all the time.
Inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain can result in increased light sensitivity. Meningitis is no joke, younger patients with bacterial meningitis often experience glare and hypersensitivity to light and the likelihood to happen is 88% as cited by a scientific report.
Brain injury manifests as a severe condition in the eyes as well. The thalamus is important for visual filtering and stimuli but significant damage can impair one's ability to process incoming light.
Sometimes when the Autonomic Nervous system is disrupted pupil dilates more than usual, which causes photophobia. Patients also complain they experience soreness and headaches when looking at computer screens. This can also be resulting out of damage to the vestibular system.
People with Autism Spectrum also complain about light sensitivity the most. The eyes, brain, and central nervous system play a huge role in light sensitivity and photophobia. And when it is not functioning best for those with Autism, issues may be seen.
People with lighter-colored irises are more sensitive to light Is it true? People with blue-colored eyes are more sensitive to light. There is no definitive evidence of this but reduced pigmentation has something to do with it.
There are fair chances for people with fibromyalgia to have frequent experiences with light sensitivity. Even research indicates that 70% of individuals with fibromyalgia have some form of photophobia (usually higher) due to sensory overload and dysregulation in the brain’s pain-modulating systems.
Individuals with albinism have less pigment in their irises, allowing more light to enter the eye, which can lead to increased sensitivity. Lack of melanin does not affect skin or hair, but has significant implications on vision, as it allows more light to enter the eyes and makes it more prone to sensitivity.
Conditions such as anxiety, depression, and panic disorders have been associated with increased light sensitivity. Stressful situations like these for an individual may also exacerbate symptoms.
It's often difficult to cope with bright lights, especially LED and fluorescent lighting. It is because one can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and irritability. It also triggers symptoms such as elevated heart rates and panic attacks on top of light sensitivity.
The experience of photophobia can lead to avoidance behaviors in areas of bright light setting. One with photophobia faces the need to limit their exposure to social situations.
Photophobia is not a standalone condition but rather a symptom. Your doctor might have warned you to use your mobile less but you won’t listen, right? But the bright reflections and glare you have can only make your eyes worse.
You can remember the list and source an alternate medication unless necessary from your doctor. Below are the medication that triggers photophobia aka light sensitivity in an individual.
Some on the list are antidepressants, antibiotics (e.g., doxycycline), and medications that dilate pupils (e.g., atropine) that often trigger photophobia.
In the end, one needs treatment products to be functional and helpful for your eyes. So, consulting an eye care professional for the treatment of photophobia is a must.
Finally, there is some hope in supplementation as different research studies confirming the supplementation of lutein can increase your macular pigment optical density (mpod).
It is the pigment in the retina and back of the eyes that works as a natural sort of filter against harsh energy light (especially those blue ones). Even research acclaims that the more pigment you have the MPOD ones, the more light is needed to even trigger that light sensitivity in your eyes.
The research on these supplements is usually done in smaller studies. But we can appreciate how great lutein is for overall eye and brain health.
If your eyes are also sensitive to light, take no more seconds to tap on your contact icon and send your issues. Vision Concern Eye Clinic is happy to aid you have a healthy eye and even ship your favorite vision products to your door.
We are now open at 3 different locations, Makalbari, Lazimpat, and Boudha, do visit us for more clarity on your case. You can also book your appointment online with Vision Concern.
Wearing sunglasses indoors is going to train the brain and bring the light threshold down and adapt to the new darker tone of the world, hence wearing sunglasses indoors is discouraged. You can instead get yourself transitions or photochromic glasses that turn from regular clear glasses indoors to sunglasses when outdoors.
Certain glasses are specifically designed for light sensitivity and even can be worn indoors. Avalox glasses are specially designed for people with photophobia.
MiWear are dark green lenses used by light-sensitive people regularly to tackle aversions to bright light. Many other glasses claim or are marketed to help people with some amount of light. But you can consult with your eye doctor before actually adding one to your collection.
Yes, we provide emergency eye care for conditions like eye injuries, sudden vision loss, and infections. If you experience any urgent eye problems, please contact us immediately, and our team will assist you in getting the care you need.
Signs to watch for include blurry vision, floaters, sudden loss of vision, eye pain, redness, or sensitivity to light. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to schedule an eye exam at Vision Concern Eye Clinic as soon as possible for early diagnosis and treatment.
If you’re experiencing blurred vision, headaches, or eye strain, it may be a sign that you need glasses or contact lenses. Our eye exams will help determine whether you need corrective lenses. We’ll also discuss your options based on your lifestyle and preferences, including glasses, contacts, or even refractive surgery like LASIK.
