Photophobia (patient information): Difference between revisions
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==What are the symptoms?== | ==What are the symptoms?== | ||
*Pain in the eye | *[[Pain]] in the eye | ||
*Headache | *[[Headache]] | ||
*Nausea | *[[Nausea]] | ||
*Neck stiffness | *[[Neck stiffness]] | ||
*Blurred vision | *[[Blurred vision]] | ||
*Sore or wound in eye | *Sore or wound in eye | ||
*Redness | *Redness | ||
*Itching | *[[Itching]] | ||
*Swelling | *[[Swelling]] | ||
*Dizziness | *[[Dizziness]] | ||
*Numbness or tingling elsewhere in the body | *[[Numbness]] or [[tingling]] elsewhere in the body | ||
*Changes in hearing | *Changes in [[hearing]] | ||
==What are the causes?== | ==What are the causes?== | ||
Revision as of 16:01, 12 February 2013
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Photophobia |
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Photophobia On the Web |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ogheneochuko Ajari, MB.BS, MS [2]
Overview
Photophobia is eye discomfort in bright light. Photophobia is a fairly common symptom. For many people, photophobia is not due to any disease. Severe photophobia may occur with eye problems and can cause severe eye pain even in relatively low light.
What are the symptoms?
- Pain in the eye
- Headache
- Nausea
- Neck stiffness
- Blurred vision
- Sore or wound in eye
- Redness
- Itching
- Swelling
- Dizziness
- Numbness or tingling elsewhere in the body
- Changes in hearing
What are the causes?
- Acute iritis or uveitis (inflammation inside eye)
- Burns to the eye
- Corneal abrasion
- Corneal ulcer
- Drugs such as amphetamines, atropine, cocaine, cyclopentolate, idoxuridine, phenylephrine, scopolamine, trifluridine, tropicamide, and vidarabine
- Excessive wearing of contact lenses, or wearing badly fitted contact lenses
- Eye disease, injury, or infection (such as chalazion, episcleritis, glaucoma)
- Eye testing when the eyes have been dilated
- Meningitis
- Migraine headache
Who is at highest risk?
Diagnosis
The doctor will perform a physical examination, including an eye exam. You may be asked the following questions:
- When did the light sensitivity begin?
- Does it hurt all the time or just sometimes?
- How bad is it?
- Do you need to wear dark glasses or stay in dark rooms?
- Did a doctor recently dilate your pupils?
- Have you used any eye drops?
- Do you use contact lenses?
- Have you used soaps, lotions, cosmetics, or other chemicals around your eyes?
- Have you been around dust, wind, sun, pollen, or chemicals?
- Does anything make the sensitivity better or worse?
- Have you been injured?
- What medicines do you take?
- What other symptoms do you have?
The following tests may be done:
- Corneal scraping
- Lumbar puncture
- Pupil dilation
- Slit-lamp examination
When to seek urgent medical care?
Call your doctor if light sensitivity is severe or painful -- for example, if you need to wear sunglasses indoors.
Also call if the sensitivity occurs with headaches, red eye or blurred vision or does not go away in a day or two.