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Photophobia

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

General

Photophobia, or light sensitivity, is an intolerance of light. Sources such as sunlight, fluorescent light, and incandescent light all can cause discomfort, along with a need to squint or close the eyes. Headaches also may accompany light sensitivity. Light-sensitive people sometimes are bothered only by bright light. In extreme cases, however, any light can be irritating.

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Signs & symptoms

Photophobia can affect people of all ages. It is often a recurrent and benign (not medically serious) experience, but it may develop due to a medical condition. Usually, photophobia affects both eyes equally. Sometimes, however, eye problems can cause photophobia in only one eye. Symptoms of photophobia include: - Sensitivity to light - Aversion to light - A sense that regular lighting appears excessively bright - Seeing bright colored spots, even in the dark or with eyes closed - Difficulty reading or looking at pictures or text - Pain or discomfort when looking at the light - Squinting one or both eyes - Forehead pain - Tears from the eyes - A sense that the eyes are excessively dry

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of photophobia includes physical examination, eye examination, and medical history anamnesis. Physical examination will include an evaluation of neurological function including strength, reflexes, coordination, and sensation. Eye examination includes checking eye movements, vision, and pupils. It also includes examination of the retina, nerves, and blood vessels behind the eyes using ophthalmoscopy, a painless and non-invasive method of examining the eyes. Ophthalmoscopy can detect cataracts, retinal problems, nerve and blood vessel disease, or glaucoma. Other tests may include: - Ocular tonometry - Optical coherence tomography (OCT) - Fluorescein angiography - Blood tests - Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - Brain magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) or computed tomography angiogram (CTA)

Treatment

There are two aspects to the treatment of photophobia. One aspect involves treatment of the underlying cause. Diagnosis of the cause of the symptoms is important because the conditions that cause photophobia are treated differently from each other. The other aspect of photophobia treatment is focused on the relief of the symptoms. While the underlying condition is being treated, it may take days or even longer for the photophobia to improve. There are several things that are possible to do to maintain comfort while the condition is resolving. - Wearing sunglasses. - Decrease exposure to the light. - Use green-tinted light or tinted glasses if possible because it does not induce photophobia to the same degree as other colors of light. - Use eye drops for comfort. - Take over-the-counter pain medication, such as acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) after discussing it with your doctor. - Non-invasive transcutaneous electrical nerve (TENS) stimulation may provide some relief for people who have photophobia with eye pain. -Botulinum toxin A injections have been used for photophobia that does not improve with medication, with some good results.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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**Sensitivity to light**, sound is typical of migraine. I have suffered aura migraine for 24 years and career peaks/stress or life events typically do trigger or progress migraines. Ensure you rule out any other causes with eye tests and audiology checks, and brain MRI. Once these rule out other causes, your neurologist will help you find the best medication and regime. Meanwhile, please look into supplements like Mg citrate, riboflavin, q10 etc which all help greatly to prevent migraines to a small extent. Additionally, try to manage your triggers carefully, unfortunately this may mean taking a step back or going easy on work/personal commitments that may stress you out.

Based on the provided content, some individuals have reported similar symptoms such as headaches and feeling shaky when exposed to flashing lights. However, it's not clear whether these symptoms are common among all cases of **light sensitivity** or if they're more aligned with a neurological condition. It's recommended to seek medical advice for a proper diagnosis.

"Yes, there are individuals who deal with **light sensitivity** due to seizures or a seizure disorder. Some people have photosensitive epilepsy and are more affected by flashing lights and sunlight. Others have reported feeling shaky or having an unsettling feeling in their head when they see flashing lights, which can lead to a seizure."

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