Photophobia, also known as photophobia, is the increased sensitivity of the eyes to light. When light enters the eyes, a person experiences discomfort such as spasm of the eyelids, watery eyes, pain in the eyes, etc. Moreover, people with bright eyes suffer from this phobia much more often.
Manifestation of photophobia
This disease is manifested by discomfort that arises from the light of the sun or an ordinary lamp. A person suffering from photophobia cannot look at the light, constantly squints, experiences pain and burning in the eyes, eyes begin to watery, all this can be accompanied by a headache. Photophobia has nothing to do with the normal response of the human eye to high-brightness light, manifested as short-term visual impairment. Photophobia appears even at normal light intensity. Photophobia is not a disease, but a symptom that speaks of pathological processes occurring in the eyes or other organs of the human body. If you find such signs in yourself, you need to urgently consult a doctor.
Causes of photophobia
Photophobia occurs when the nerve endings in the eyeball are hypersensitive to light. The reasons for its appearance can be very different. Many of the inflammatory processes occurring in the front of the eye cause these symptoms to appear. These are, for example, conjunctivitis, corneal trauma, keratitis and others. In these cases, the eye is protected in a similar way, trying to preserve sight.
Some medications such as tetracycline, quinine, furosemide, belladonna, etc., can affect the sensitivity of the eyes. If unpleasant symptoms are observed in only one eye, this may mean that a foreign body has entered the cornea.
Photophobia can be triggered by excessive UV radiation if you look at the sun for a long time or at the sparks that appear during the welding process. A tumor in the brain can also be the cause of intolerance to light, even the most common brightness. Photophobia can accompany migraine and glaucoma attacks. Patients suffering from measles, allergic rhinitis, rabies, botulism and some other diseases also report increased sensitivity to light. Congenital photophobia is common in albino people. Depression, chronic fatigue, poisoning with certain substances also provoke photophobia. Sitting in front of a computer or TV for too long or wearing lenses for long periods of time often lead to photophobia.
Photophobia treatment
For the treatment to be effective, it is necessary to identify the disease that provoked the appearance of photophobia. Depending on the disease that caused the hypersensitivity, the doctor will prescribe treatment, after which the photophobia will disappear. During treatment, the patient must follow certain rules of behavior that greatly facilitate his life.
In sunny weather, you cannot go outside without special sunglasses that have 100% UV protection. If photophobia is provoked by taking any medications, then you need to consult with your doctor about the possible replacement of drugs with others.
If photophobia is a temporary phenomenon, then eye drops with an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effect will help well. In the case of congenital or disease-induced photophobia, which cannot be cured, a person can alleviate his condition by constantly wearing sunglasses or lenses that let less light into the eyes.
