According to Duke ophthalmologist Anupama Horne, MD , the answer is yes -- your baby blues are indeed likely contributing to your squinting and discomfort under bright lights. Horne explains that photophobia -- the term used to describe light sensitivity -- typically affects people with light eyes because they have less pigmentation in multiple layers of the eye than those with darker eyes. Because of this, they are unable to block out the effects of harsh lights like sunlight and fluorescent lights.
Horne is careful to note that photophobia refers to light sensitivity, but does not mean actual permanent loss of vision. She also says that photophobia can affect some people with brown eyes. The Ultimate Guide to Photophobia. Exposure to sun and precipitation of migraine. Brief migraine episodes in children and adolescents-a modification to International Headache Society pediatric migraine without aura diagnostic criteria.
Epub Mar 4. Precipitating and relieving factors of migraine versus tension type headache. BMC Neurol. Sun-induced migraine attacks in an Arctic population. Epub May Returning the student to school after concussion: what do clinicians need to know? Dry eye: prevalence and attributable risk factors in a hospital-based population. Indian J Ophthalmol.
Panic-agoraphobic spectrum and light sensitivity in a general population sample in Italy. Can J Psychiatry. The assessment of light intensity preference in psychiatric patients: a questionnaire. Acta Psychiatr Scand. Photokeratitis induced by ultraviolet radiation in travelers: A major health problem.
A corneal abrasion is an injury to the cornea, the outermost layer of the eye. This type of injury is common and can happen if you get sand, dirt, metal particles, or other substances in your eyes. This can lead to a serious condition called a corneal ulcer if the cornea becomes infected.
Scleritis occurs when the white part of your eye becomes inflamed. About half of all cases are caused by diseases that affect the immune system, such as lupus. Other symptoms include eye pain, watery eyes, and blurred vision. Other symptoms include itching, redness, and eye pain. It results in your eyes being excessively dry. Causes include age, environmental factors, certain medical conditions, and some medications.
Some conditions that cause sensitivity to light are considered medical emergencies. If you have this symptom and any other symptoms associated with one of these conditions, you should seek immediate medical care. Staying out of sunlight and keeping the lights dimmed inside can help make photophobia less uncomfortable. Keeping your eyes closed or covering them with dark, tinted glasses can also provide relief.
Your doctor will perform a physical examination as well as an eye exam. They may also ask questions about the frequency and severity of your symptoms to determine the cause. Ongoing or chronic photophobia or sunlight sensitivity may also be related to certain medical conditions, such as lupus.
If you have lupus, your sensitivity to the sun could also manifest itself via visual floaters, dry eye, retinal complications, lesions, or changes to the muscles surrounding the eye.
Another medical condition that may be related to your sunlight sensitivity is meningitis. Meningitis is known to cause swelling in the brain, along with headaches.
Bright light like sunshine can make those headaches even worse. If you deal with anxiety, depression, or panic disorders, sunlight sensitivity could be a related issue for you.
People with these psychiatric challenges may be more sensitive to bright light than others. If your eyes are sunlight sensitive due to a recent injury or surgery, your sensitivity could fade as you recover.
In some cases, photophobia may arise after an injury, surgery or other trauma, but stay with you long-term and become a chronic condition that leaves you painfully sensitive to sunlight. Conditions that may cause acute photophobia include:. A concussion usually occurs as the result of an injury to the head or face. One of the possible symptoms of concussion or post-concussion syndrome is light sensitivity, including eye sensitivity to the sun.
By definition, a concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury or TBI. TBIs of any type may cause short or longer-term sensitivity to both artificial and natural light, along with other symptoms. Some people experience short-term sensitivity to sunlight or other types of light after having eye surgery such as LASIK or cataract surgery.
For a few people, light sensitivity after eye surgery may become chronic. Eye conditions like uveitis , iritis or keratitis can be painful enough on their own, but also bring on extreme sensitivity to light. Corneal abrasions or scratches are also painful, and may result in acute sensitivity to the sunshine or artificial light. But if you persist in leaving your eyes vulnerable to the bright sunshine, it could lead to damage.
In fact, did you know your eyes can actually get sunburned?
0コメント