Vision, light sensitive

Alternative names:

light hurts the eyes; light sensitivity; photophobia; sensitivity to sunlight

Definition:

Discomfort of the eyes to bright light.

Considerations:

Photophobia is a fairly common symptom. For many people, photophobia is not due to any underlying disease.

Common causes:

• excessive wearing of contact lenses or badly fitting contact lenses
• eye disease, injury, or infection (such as chalazion, episcleritis, glaucoma)
• burns to the eye(s)
• common migraine headache
• meningitis
• acute iritis
• corneal abrasion
• corneal ulcer
• uveitis
• drugs such as amphetamines, atropine, cocaine, cyclopentolate, idoxuridine, phenylephrine, scopolamine, trifluridine, tropicamide, and vidarabine
• eye testing in which the eyes have been dilated

Note: There may be other causes of photophobia. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for photophobia, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.