Photophobia, symptoms, causes and treatment

Photophobia (photophobia) - painful eye sensitivity to light, in which it causes the person getting discomfort in the eyes, and makes much screwing up his eyes.

There is a certain level of brightness required for normal visual perception. If the light intensity exceeds this level, the vision deteriorates, and there is an unpleasant feeling of glare. Such a reaction is called a normal eye, and do not relate to the photophobia. Photophobia called pain appearing at normal brightness, which can be compared to the brightness created on the surface of the sheet of white paper table lamps, power 60W. In some cases, there is an almost complete intolerance to light.

Symptoms of photophobia are:

    - Spasms (convulsive closing) age;

    - Pain in the eyes;

    - Slёzotechenie;

    - headache.

The main causes of photophobia

Temporary increased sensitivity of eyes to light occurs at long stay in a poorly lit room, and later a sudden appearance of a bright light. The pupil does not have time to quickly adapt to lighting, resulting in manifest photophobia. This is a normal reaction of people with healthy eyes, photophobia and this passes quickly enough.

Photophobia is a fairly common symptom of damage or inflammatory diseases of the eye such as conjunctivitis, keratitis, iridocyclitis, uveitis, an eye injury.

Photophobia often seen in albinos, because people like the light rays enter the eye through the pupil, not only, but also through the tissue of the iris, which is devoid of pigment. Also, people with light eye color, are more susceptible to increased sensitivity to light than people with dark eyes.

Photophobia may occur by ingestion of foreign bodies on the cornea of ​​the eye, with the erosion of the cornea may occur.

Elektrooftalmologiya. The defeat of the retina and other ultraviolet rays at a relatively long and intensive exposure during electric welding or gas welding.

Photophobia occurs when artificial mydriasis. In this case, the pupil is not narrowed by the action of light and the retina is exposed to light rays. Artificial mydriasis used for more effective diagnosis of the fundus.

In allergic reactions, allergic keratoconjunctivitis TB-photophobia may be expressed quite sharply.

Measles, botulism, mercury poisoning, rabies is also very often accompanied by photophobia. In this case, photophobia is one of the symptoms of brain damage.

Photophobia may occur as a side effect when taking certain medications such as furosemide, quinine, belladonna, doxycycline, tetracycline.

This symptom can be observed in viral colds, or migraine.

Meningitis and central nervous system and may cause photophobia.

The manifestation of this symptom occurs when retinal detachment, sunburn and refractive eye surgery.

In some cases, photophobia may occur during stimulation of corneal contact lenses if they are not correct selection.

Treatment photophobia

Treatment consists of treating photophobia of diseases whose symptoms include photophobia. If you remove a factor that led to photophobia, this symptom will pass on their own. If photophobia is caused by intake of certain drugs, you may need to consult a doctor to replace them with others. If photophobia congenital and associated with natural factors, one of the options, at least a partial solution to this problem is to wear special contact lenses that will look just like your eyes, but to pass less light, making vision more comfortable .