What Is Photophobia? Causes and Solutions to Photophobia
Many people suffer from this compulsion to avoid light. But what is the real cause of photophobia? Is it a symptom of a medical condition? What can you do to treat photophobia? Read this article to discover the possible causes and solutions to your problem. It can also be caused by lifestyle factors, ocular diseases, or migraines. You can also use the best light sensitivity glasses for photophobia as a way to treat this phobia.
It’s a symptom of a medical condition.
While there is no single cause of photophobia, many adults and children suffer from it regularly. About half of these individuals were unemployed and felt that photophobia greatly affected their quality of life. In terms of the underlying condition, photophobia was linked to the most common ocular and neurological disorders, such as dry eyes or migraine. Other neurological conditions associated with photophobia include depression, blepharospasm, and PSP.
A variety of conditions can cause photophobia, including migraine and trigeminal neuralgia. In addition, inflammation or injury to the eye, retina, or trigeminal nerve, may cause the eye to experience pain. In such cases, a doctor should investigate photophobia as a medical condition symptom. Once diagnosed, the best course of treatment is to treat the underlying condition and avoid putting off care.
Ocular conditions can cause it.
Many ocular conditions can cause photophobia. The most common non-neurological condition causing photophobia is dry eye syndrome. Dry eye can be challenging to diagnose, so healthcare providers will likely use different methods to determine whether the condition is present. Ocular conditions such as iritis, cyclitis, and blepharitis can also cause photophobia. Inflammation of the eye can cause extreme pain, and light-colored people are at higher risk.
The causes of photophobia are unclear, but it is thought that light from the retina travels through the optical path until it reaches the brain. The cone cells in the retina create vision when light strikes the eye, while melanopsin cells sense light but do not produce vision. The two systems are intimately linked, with the melanopsin system providing information to the brain about light. Some clinicians believe that photophobia is a functional symptom and has no organic basis.
Lifestyle factors can cause it.
Lifestyle factors, such as sun exposure can cause photophobia. While this condition is generally not life-threatening, it can affect your daily lifestyle if you don’t treat it at an early stage. For this reason, it’s best to visit a doctor to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment. Listed below are some of the leading causes of photophobia. These can include medications, environmental factors, and even genetics.
Physical factors. People with photophobia may have dry eyes, a condition where tears are not produced or do not supply enough moisture to the eye. Dry eyes can cause photophobia, leading to scarring and ulcers on the cornea. Also, it can cause vision loss in those who suffer from dry eyes. However, other lifestyle factors can cause photophobia. There are various methods to treat dry eyes, including using eye drops.
It can be caused by migraine.
While some people don’t realize that photophobia can be a symptom of migraine, many migraine sufferers cannot recognize the warning signs that their attacks may be related to light. Typically, migraine sufferers will experience an aura before the headache strikes. This phase may include flashing lights or blind/dark spots, or other non-visual sensations. Because it’s difficult to tell whether photophobia is a migraine symptom, doctors often recommend taking a drug like Excedrin to treat the symptoms.
Underlying conditions often complicate the cause of migraine headaches. Some migraine patients may develop photophobia due to stress, medications, or environmental factors. The causes of migraine headaches vary, but most people who build photophobia also suffer from headache-related anxiety. The American Migraine Foundation recommends seeing a physician if this condition interferes with your daily life. Your doctor can also provide you with treatment options and additional therapy. In some cases, photophobia episodes will clear up after migraine treatments are started, but in some cases, they may recur.