What Causes A Sensitivity To Light?

Photophobia, also known as a sensitivity to light, is a condition where an individual's eyes experience pain when exposed to bright lights. Less severe cases of light sensitivity can cause an affected individual to squint and feel discomfort when they walk outside or into a brightly lit room. Severe cases of photophobia can trigger significant pain sensations when an affected individual's eyes are exposed to any kind of light. Other symptoms that occur in these patients include difficulty looking at pictures, reading a text, bright-colored floaters in the dark, aversion to light, and frequent squinting. Light sensitivity is diagnosed with the use of a physical examination, standard eye examination, slit-lamp eye examination, MRI, and tear film examination. Depending on the underlying cause of photophobia, oral medications, eye drops, antibiotics, artificial tears, bed rest, surgery, and the use of tinted lenses are methods that may be used for treatment.