Sensitive eyes to light

Light Sensitivity

Light sensitivity or photophobia is a medical condition that results in person`s eyes becoming sensitive to light. Light sensitivity is not a disease and its symptoms are inflammation or any kind of irritation of the eye. It is believed that people with lighter eye color are more prone to light sensitive than the ones with darker colors of eyes, since they have more pigments in their eyes to protect them from lighting. People with sensitive eyes can find it difficult to expose their eyes to fluorescent light, sunlight or any other harsh light source, and they should wear sunglasses and hats with wide brims.

Some of the causes of light sensitivity are corneal abrasion, retinal detachment, uveitis, conjunctiva, cataract, buphthalmos, and achromatopsia. Once you have set your diagnosis, you are ready to treat it properly and the light sensitivity will gradually fade, which is why, if you notice any unusual symptom affecting you eye vision, you should consult your ophthalmologist.

Causes of Light Sensitivity

There are several causes of light sensitivity but we are going to mention just some of them. Retinal detachment, the condition that is considered to be a medical emergency, is a disorder of the eye where retina, or its underlying layer of the tissue supported is starting to peel away. It usually has very bad consequences if not treated on time. For instance, it can result in blindness or vision loss. Patients who suffer from retinal detachment see small debris and bits that look like hair, strands and spots floating right before their eyes.

Another cause of the light sensitivity is called uveitis. Uvea is the middle layer that is surrounded by sclera and retina, and the occurrence of the infected uvea is called uveitis. There are no clear reasons for this disorder, but it is believed that it is caused by autoimmune disorders, injury or infection.

Some of the symptoms of the next condition that affects light sensitivity are gritty feeling in eyes, itchiness or redness. Those symptoms make the conjunctiva become inflamed and the condition is called conjunctivitis. Conjunctiva is a thin membrane that is surrounded by inner and outer surface of the eye. Infections and allergies can bring on conjunctivitis. People who have conjunctivitis should use separate towels. Cataract is a condition where you can`t see clearly due the clouding that blurs your vision. Usual symptoms of cataracts are glare, sensitivity to light and blurred vision. Reasons for the occurrence of cataracts include aging, trauma, diabetes and cortisone medications.

There are about 6 million of the cone photoreceptors located in the retina and cone vision is produced by photoreceptors. Lack of cone vision triggers the genetic disorder called achromatopsia, also known as monochromatism and achromatic vision. People who have achromatopsia have very sensitive eyes to sunlight. In the case of any of the above listed conditions, rubbing of the eyes in not recommended.