Bright lights can hurt your eyes, which is a condition known as photophobia. This symptom is common and linked to a number of conditions, from minor annoyances to life-threatening emergencies.

Causes of Photophobia

Migraine

Migraine causes severe headaches that can be brought on by a variety of things, such as hormonal changes, certain foods, stress, and changes in the environment. Other symptoms of migraine include throbbing in one part of your head, nausea, and vomiting.

Conditions That Affect the Brain

Several severe brain disorders that affect light sensitivity are frequently linked to include:

Encephalitis

Severe cases of encephalitis can be fatal because it happens when the brain becomes inflamed due to a virus or another cause.

Meningitis

The bacterial form of meningitis can result in serious complications like brain damage, hearing loss, seizures, and even death. Meningitis is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the membranes encasing the brain and spinal cord.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage

When there is bleeding between the layers of tissue that surround the brain, it is called a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and it can be fatal or cause stroke-like symptoms or brain damage.

Conditions that affect the eyes

In several eye conditions, including the following, photophobia is also prevalent:

Corneal abrasion

An injury to the cornea, the eye’s outermost layer, is known as a corneal abrasion. This type of injury is frequent and can occur if you get sand, dirt, metal, or other foreign objects in your eyes. If the cornea becomes infected, it can result in a serious condition known as a corneal ulcer.

Scleritis

The white of the eye becomes inflamed, which causes scleritis.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis, also known as “pink eye,” is an infection or inflammation of the layer of tissue covering the white part of your eye. It’s typically brought on by viruses, but it can also be brought on by bacteria and allergies. Other symptoms include itching, redness, and eye pain.

Dry eye syndrome

Your eyes become excessively dry when your tear glands are unable to produce enough tears or tears of sufficient quality. Age, environmental factors, certain medical conditions, and some medications are among the causes of dry eye.

Symptoms of Photophobia

Corneal abrasion

Symptoms include:

• blurry vision
• burning or discomfort in the eye
• redness
• feeling as though something is in your eye

Encephalitis

Symptoms include:

• severe headache
• fever
• being difficult to arouse
• confusion

Meningitis

Symptoms include:

• fever and chills
• severe headache
• stiff neck
• nausea and vomiting

Subarachnoid hemorrhage

Symptoms include:

• the back of the head feels worse than the front when a sudden, severe headache occurs.
• irritability and confusion
• reduced awareness
• Body parts that are numb

Prevention

• To prevent migraine attacks, try to stay away from the triggers.
• By keeping your eyes clean, avoiding eye contact, and refraining from sharing eye makeup, you can prevent conjunctivitis.
• Avoid contact with infected individuals, wash your hands frequently, and take other steps to lower your risk of contracting meningitis.
• Hand washing frequently can aide in encephalitis prevention.

HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT

Euphrasia – Top Grade Medicine to treat Photophobia

Eyes are very sensitive to light, and in some cases, there may be spasm of the lids. Photophobia is worse during the day and in sunlight, and the affected person has a desire to remain in a darkened room. Euphrasia is prepared from a plant Euphrasia Officinalis commonly known as Eyebright, whose natural order is Scrophulariaceae. Euphrasia is top listed medicine to treat cases of photophobia.

2. Belladonna – For Photophobia with Dry Eyes

Belladonna is used to treat the condition of photophobia with dry eyes. In cases requiring Belladonna, there is intolerance to light and a desire to remain in a dark room. Additionally, there may be a gritty sensation in the eyes. There is also pain in the head and eyes.

3. Natrum Mur – For Spasmodic Closure of Lids

In cases of blepharitis where photophobia is prominent, Natrum Mur is a high-grade medication to treat cases where other symptoms also include the presence of acrid eye discharge, burning/smarting in the eyes, and a tendency for the eyes to close on exposure to light. The eyes may water, there may be a burning sensation, and severe pain in the temples may be felt.

4. Conium – For Photophobia with Excessive Flow of Tears

Conium is a medication that is recommended for treating photophobia with excessive tear production when the person experiences relief from the symptoms in a dark environment, the borders of the eyelid may be swollen, and there may be corneal ulcers present. This medication is also recommended when the eye pain is relieved by applying pressure to the eye.

5. Glonoine – For Photophobia with Headache

Glonoine is very helpful for photophobia that appears with a headache. The headache is throbbing and congestive in nature. The pain is marked in the temporal region. Heat is also felt in the head. There is a marked sensitivity to light. Flickering or black spots may also be seen before the eyes. The eyes get red, and there may be a dimness of vision. In some cases, vertigo also coexists with the above symptoms.