Eyes really sensitive to light

[tom .p.]

I always squint and have trouble seeing things when I have sun/light in my eyes. I can see fine when it's not bright and would say my vision was almost perfect however my eyes always seem to want to close even in sunlight thats just a minor inconvenience to others.

Should I get an eye test?

 

[Brosef]

See a doctor. Light sensitivity with other symptoms can be serious.

 

[tom .p.]

Really? Whats it linked too?

 

[Listi]

On any medication? Lots of medications can cause light sensitivity, even really "basic" things like ibuprofen. What brosef said is also true.

 

[Septavius]

Originally Posted by tom .p.

Really? Whats it linked too?

Yeah, go see an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Just because you can see ok doesn't necessarily mean everything is ok. If you're really light sensitive, it could be your pupils aren't constricting like they should, which perhaps suggests some parasympathetic nervous system defect or neuropathy. Could be caused by a few other things too.

 

[imschatz]

I just wear sunglasses way to often. Probably, 95% of the time I'm exposed to UV, I have sunglasses on. That 5% of the time that I'm not wearing sunglasses, depending on what I'm doing .. I can get pretty dizzy/nauseated.

 

[tom .p.]

Originally Posted by Listi

On any medication? Lots of medications can cause light sensitivity, even really "basic" things like ibuprofen. What brosef said is also true.

I'm taking herbal medication?

In the past I've had antibiotics for acne for around 3 years

Doctor didn't tell me to stop ....

And I finished a 9 month Accutane course (10mg daily) in August this year.

 

[Manny Calavera]

You probably have blonde fundus, which indicates a lack of pigment in your retinas. When I was a kid, I had white blonde hair... now I have dark brown. My eyes are insanely photosensitive, with a huge amount of blonde fundus at the nasal, and, it's not an issue, but you'd do well to wear sunglasses whenever possible.

 

[uhurit]

I've had eye-sensitivity for 20 or so years...wear sunglasses with different degree of tint always. Occasionally, even wear slightly tinted glasses inside! Sure beats squinting or walking teary-eyed all the time

 

[willpower]

I always sneeze when I look at a bright light source. Anyone else?

 

[imschatz]

Originally Posted by willpower

I always sneeze when I look at a bright light source. Anyone else?
Ya .. that's fairly normal.

 

[2 Legit 2 Quit]

hey guys, so yesterday i was playing volleyball and as i was going for a pass another team member got the ball and accidentally elbowed/punched me in the eye. I couldnt open it for a few moments but now i can fully open it. But now whenever my right eye ( the one that was hit) sees a bright light, it sends a short spurt of pain/uncomfort to my head

is this normal?

 

[Listi]

Originally Posted by tom .p.

I'm taking herbal medication?

In the past I've had antibiotics for acne for around 3 years

Doctor didn't tell me to stop ....

And I finished a 9 month Accutane course (10mg daily) in August this year.

Well, I'm not a doctor so I can't give any real medical advice. I'm not sure if those drugs could cause photosensitivity, just that I've had photosensitivity from some medication I was on (don't remember what) some years ago. If you've got decent insurance or whatever, it doesn't hurt to ask your doctor for a checkup or give the office a quick phone call.

 

[L'Incandescent]

Originally Posted by imschatz

Ya .. that's fairly normal.

Whenever I tell people I sneeze from looking into the light, they act like I'm some kind of crazy person. They're always saying "bless you," but I try to tell them that it wasn't a bad kind of sneeze--it was a light sneeze.

Light sneezes are great--I always feel so much better after I've had a couple. For real.

 

[sonlegoman]

Believe it or not, light sneezes are genetic. There is a gene that predisposes some to sneezing when they see bright lights. Curling the tongue is also genetic. As for photophobia (not a true phobia since it is oftentimes temporary and does not cause anxiety), it is a common side effect of taking accutane. Accutane is a vitamin A derivative and will most likely therefore have an effect on the eyes (the name retina is related to high concentrations of retinoids discovered there).

Originally Posted by 2 Legit 2 Quit

hey guys, so yesterday i was playing volleyball and as i was going for a pass another team member got the ball and accidentally elbowed/punched me in the eye. I couldnt open it for a few moments but now i can fully open it. But now whenever my right eye ( the one that was hit) sees a bright light, it sends a short spurt of pain/uncomfort to my head is this normal?
This is not normal. Whenever you have trauma to the eyes, you should go see an optometrist, especially if you're having symptoms. The funny thing about the eyes is that because you have two of them, lots of visual symptoms of a poor eye are masked by the good eye.