What are light-sensitive eyes?
There is nothing unusual about experiencing discomfort in the eyes when exposed to bright light. Most people are familiar with this sensation on sunny days, when we instinctively react by squinting or shielding our eyes with our hands or sunglasses. This is a good mechanism to have, as bright light in the eyes can be extremely harmful, but there is also a more aggressive form of light sensitivity, also known as photophobia. People who suffer from extremely light-sensitive eyes cannot tolerate the same amount of light that most other people can tolerate without any problems: It can actually be downright painful and, at the very least, uncomfortable. The otherwise healthy human defense mechanism is therefore significantly more sensitive in people with light-sensitive eyes, and it takes much less for the eyes to instinctively squint or for a hand to be placed over the eyes.
Why do people get light-sensitive eyes?
Photophobia, or sensitivity to light, does not have a single cause. Today, it is not known exactly why some people experience light as more painful than others, but it is often a condition that occurs alongside other diseases. It may therefore be that light-sensitive eyes should be considered more of a symptom, but it is nonetheless a problem that many people suffer from and which needs to be investigated in order to identify a clear cause.
What should you do if you have light-sensitive eyes?
If you find that your eyes are particularly sensitive to light and that this is affecting your daily life, you should consult your doctor. Your doctor can then refer you to an ophthalmologist if necessary. Your doctor will probably ask you if you experience any other symptoms. More often than not, patients with light-sensitive eyes also suffer from dry eyes and perhaps even migraines, which exacerbate the patient’s sensitivity to light. It is therefore important to assess the cause of your light-sensitive eyes. It may be a result of dry eyes or migraines, but it could also be a sign of eye infection, head trauma, or corneal inflammation. There are also rarer diseases such as blepharospasm and more serious diseases such as meningitis, where light sensitivity is a symptom. Therefore, you should take your symptoms seriously and contact your doctor if you experience problems with severe light sensitivity in your eyes.
How do you treat light-sensitive eyes?
As it appears that light sensitivity is predominantly a symptom of another underlying condition, treatment for light sensitivity will therefore also target the underlying problem. When the underlying cause is treated—such as dry eyes or migraines—the light sensitivity will also decrease or disappear as treatment progresses.