PhotophobiaHeadache

What is Photophobia?

Photophobia is the medical name for sensitivity to light. Any light can be an irritation to people who have photophobia. The light can be natural sunlight; it can be the fluorescent lights that are typically used indoors; or it can simply be ordinary light bulbs. Some photophobics have a hard time when the light is extremely bright. In rare cases, an individual with photophobia shuns every kind of light.

People who have photophobia usually feel uncomfortable in bright light. They often find themselves squinting or even closing their eyes when the light is bright. Photophobics also tend to have headaches when they are exposed in bright light. Albinos as well as people who only see in shades of gray, suffer from migraine headaches, have cataracts and have light colored eyes are more predisposed to having photophobia.

In general, people with photophobia also suffer from another medical problem. Their sensitivity to light is simply a part of the that condition. Headaches are a common occurrence in people with photophobia.

Some of these problems include conjunctivitis, corneal abrasion, uveitis and detached retina. Conjunctivitis, a common eye ailment, is a condition that causes the eyes to become inflamed and pink. Conjunctivitis is triggered by an allergy or infection and can be treated with antibiotic eye drops.

Corneal abrasion, on the other hand, is prevalent among people who wear wear contact lenses and those who are into sports. Corneal abrasion occurs when the cornea, which is the top layer of the eye, is scratched or injured. This condition is very painful and the affected eye becomes highly sensitive to light. This sensitivity to light usually goes away when the eye completely heals.

Inflammation of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye that includes the iris, is referred to as uveitis. Uveitis is usually caused by an infection or an immune system disorder such as M.E. or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

When the retina gets detached from the tissue supporting it, an individual may lose his or her sight. There are many reasons that the retina in the eye can get separated and it is always a serious condition when it happens. Surgery is often the solution to attaching the detached retina.

The above mentioned eye conditions are usually the underlying causes of photophobia. As soon as they are gone, the sensitivity to light also disappears. However, you can reduce your sensitivity to light by wearing a hat or sunglasses. These can help protect your eyes from glare, thereby lessening headaches. If you have an extreme case of photophobia, consider getting special contact lenses as they can greatly reduce the amount of light that can pass through your eyes.