Causes and treatments for photophobia

Also named light sensitivity, photophobia is a common eye problem that makes the patient uncomfortable with bright light such as sunlight, fluorescent light and incandescent light. People with photophobia need to squint or close their eyes encountered bright lights. In serious conditions, headache can be caused.

Light sensitivity is just a symptom of many conditions. Common factors that may bring photophobia include infection, inflammation, virus-caused illness, severe headache and migrate. Photophobia can also result from a variety of eye diseases, such as corneal abrasion, uveitis, detached retina, contact lens irritation, sunburn and refractive surgery complications and so on.

Photophobia is often associated with total color deficiency, botulism, rabies, mercury poisoning, conjunctivitis, keratitis and iritis. Eye pigment insufficiency is another contributor to photophobia, so that people with lighter eye color or albinism (lack of pigment) are more likely to suffer from light sensitivity. Darker eyes have more pigment to block out harsh lights. Some uncommon diseases such as KFSD and certain medications such as belladonna, quinine and Doxycycline are also reported to cause photophobia.

Treatments for light sensitivity vary significantly, depending on different causes. For people with acquired photophobia, the most effective treatment is to remove the underlying reason. For instance, you should replace the current medication that caused light sensitivity. Once the triggering factor is removed, photophobia will go.

Wide-brimmed hats and UV sunglasses offer helpful protection from harsh light sources. People with serious photophobia may need prosthetic contact lenses, which can prevent large amount of lights from entering their eyes.

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