Why Are My Eyes Sensitive to Light?
Light sensitivity can come from dry eye, migraine, corneal irritation, inflammation, infection, or eye pressure problems. Painful light sensitivity or decreased vision needs prompt evaluation. This article is educational and does not replace a medical eye examination. If you have sudden vision loss, severe pain, new flashes or floaters, a curtain or shadow in your vision, chemical exposure, trauma, or neurologic symptoms, seek urgent eye care.
Key Takeaways
- Light sensitivity can come from dry eye, migraine, corneal irritation, inflammation, infection, or eye pressure problems.
What This Means for Your Eyes
Light sensitivity, or photophobia, can come from dry eye, corneal irritation, migraine, inflammation inside the eye, infection, recent surgery, or neurologic disease. Painful light sensitivity deserves a careful eye exam.
Detailed Explanation
Mild light sensitivity can occur with dry eye, allergies, or screen strain. More significant photophobia, especially when paired with redness, pain, or blurred vision, may reflect corneal disease, uveitis, iritis, keratitis, or acute glaucoma. The symptom is important because patients often describe the eye as just 'sensitive' when the actual problem is inflammation or injury.
When This May Be Serious
Urgent evaluation is needed for light sensitivity with eye pain, redness, decreased vision, headache, nausea, trauma, recent eye surgery, or a pupil that looks abnormal.
How an Ophthalmologist Evaluates This
An ophthalmologist checks vision, pupils, corneal staining, eye pressure, inflammation inside the eye, eyelids, tear film, and retina when needed.
Treatment Options
Treatment depends on the cause. Artificial tears may help dryness, but inflammation, infection, corneal abrasion, or uveitis require specific medical treatment.
What You Should Not Do
Do not simply wear darker sunglasses and ignore painful photophobia. Do not use old steroid drops without diagnosis.
This page also answers
- Is my red eye allergy, infection, inflammation, or something serious?
- When is eye pain an emergency?
- What causes light sensitivity?
- Is pink eye contagious?
- When should I call an ophthalmologist for red eye?
- When should this be checked urgently?
- What testing helps confirm the diagnosis?
- What treatments are available?
- What should patients avoid doing at home?
Medical sources
- aao.org/eye-health/symptoms/light-sensitivity
- mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/uveitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20378734
- mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354961
- aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/when-pink-eye-is-something-else-conjunctivitis
This article is for educational purposes only and is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or substitute for an eye examination by a qualified eye doctor. Eye symptoms can have many causes, and some problems can threaten vision if they are not treated promptly. Do not diagnose or treat yourself based only on online information. If you have eye pain, sudden vision loss, flashes, new floaters, a curtain or shadow in your vision, double vision, chemical exposure, trauma, severe redness, light sensitivity, or any concerning eye symptom, seek urgent medical eye care or emergency care.
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