Photophobia is a condition of the eye that feels pain or discomfort when seeing bright light. This condition is quite common, and usually complaints will arise when seeing sunlight or very bright lights.
Actually photophobia is not a disease, but rather a symptom of certain diseases, such as infection or irritation to the eye. Photophobia will be marked by a sense of glare, more sensitive to light, and the eyes are sometimes sore when seeing light. This complaint can be accompanied by pain in the forehead and reflexes close the eyes when seeing light. Photophobia can occur in one or both eyes.
Recognize the Causes of Photophobia
Photophobia often occurs in someone who has eye and nervous system disorders. This is because the emergence of photophobia is closely related to nerve cells that receive light stimulation in the eye, and the central nervous system as the information processor.
Some eye disorders that can cause photophobia are:
- Dry eye.
- Uveitis, which is inflammation of the uvea (middle layer of the eye).
- Iritis, which is inflammation of the iris (iris).
- Keratitis, which is inflammation of the cornea.
- Conjunctivitis, which is inflammation of the conjunctiva (the membrane that lines the whites of the eyes and eyelids).
- Corneal abrasion, which is a scratch on the surface of the cornea.
- Cataract, which is clouding of the lens of the eye.
- Blepharospasm or eye twitching.
In addition to eye disorders, the following disorders of the nervous system can also cause photophobia:
- Meningitis, which is inflammation that occurs in the meningen (protective layer of the brain and spinal cord).
- Supranuclear palsy, which is a brain disorder that disrupts body balance and eyeball movement.
- Tumors in the pituitary gland or pituitary.
In addition to certain medical conditions, photophobia can also be caused by side effects of drugs, such as quinine pills, furosemide, and antibiotics, as well as LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) procedures.
How to treat photophobia
Handling of photophobia is done to treat the cause and relieve the symptoms.
If photophobia is caused by a medical condition, such as dry eyes, migraines, conjunctivitis, or corneal abrasion, the doctor will prescribe medication to treat the disease. After the cause is treated, complaints of photophobia usually also disappear.
In addition, the doctor will also provide drugs to relieve complaints of photophobia. During treatment, you need to do the following to speed up the recovery process:
- Use sunglasses when outside the home.
- Reduce or as much as possible avoid exposure to bright light.
- Do not use contact lenses because it will make the eyes more uncomfortable
- Avoid using makeup in the eye area, because it can increase the risk of eye irritation.
- Use eye drops as prescribed by a doctor regularly.
Photophobia is not a disease, but a symptom of an illness. The causes can vary. Therefore, if you feel more sensitive to light or glare, you should immediately consult a doctor so that the cause can be identified and appropriate treatment is given.
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