Photophobia
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| Photophobia | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Neurology |
| ICD-10 | H53.1 |
| ICD-9-CM | 368.13 |
| DiseasesDB | 24599 |
| MedlinePlus | 003041 |
| Patient UK | Photophobia |
| MeSH | D020795 |
Photophobia is a symptom of abnormal intolerance to visual perception of light.[1] As a medical symptom, photophobia is not a morbid fear or phobia, but an experience of discomfort or pain to the eyes due to light exposure or by presence of actual physical sensitivity of the eyes,[2] though the term is sometimes additionally applied to abnormal or irrational fear of light such as heliophobia.[3] The term photophobia comes from the Greek φῶς (phōs), meaning "light", and φόβος (phobos), meaning "fear".[4][5]
Contents
Causes
Patients may develop photophobia as a result of several different medical conditions, related to the eye or the nervous system. Photophobia can be caused by an increased response to light starting at any step in the visual system, such as:
- Too much light entering the eye. Too much light can enter the eye if it is damaged, such as with corneal abrasion and retinal damage, or if its pupil(s) is unable to normally constrict (seen with damage to the oculomotor nerve).
- Due to albinism, the lack of pigment in the colored part of the eyes (irises) makes them somewhat translucent. This means that the irises can't completely block light from entering the eye.
- Overstimulation of the photoreceptors in the retina
- Excessive electric impulses to the optic nerve
- Excessive response in the central nervous system
Common causes of photophobia include migraine headaches, cataracts, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI), or severe ophthalmologic diseases such as uveitis or corneal abrasion.[6] A more extensive list follows:
Causes of photophobia relating directly to the eye itself include:
- Achromatopsia[7]
- Aniridia[8]
- Anticholinergic drugs may cause photophobia by paralyzing the iris sphincter muscle.[citation needed]
- Aphakia[9] (absence of the lens of the eye)
- Blepharitis
- Buphthalmos[8] (abnormally narrow angle between the cornea and iris)
- Cataracts[8]
- Coloboma
- Cone dystrophy[8]
- Congenital abnormalities of the eye[8]
- Viral conjunctivitis ("pink eye")[10]
- Corneal abrasion[8]
- Corneal dystrophy[8]
- Corneal ulcer[11]
- Disruption of the corneal epithelium, such as that caused by a corneal foreign body or keratitis [8]
- Ectopia lentis[8]
- Endophthalmitis[8]
- Eye trauma caused by disease, injury, or infection such as chalazion, episcleritis, glaucoma,[8] keratoconus, or optic nerve hypoplasia
- Hydrophthalmos, or congenital glaucoma[8]
- Iritis[8]
- Optic neuritis[8]
- Pigment dispersion syndrome[citation needed]
- Pupillary dilation (naturally or chemically induced)[9]
- Retinal detachment
- Scarring of the cornea or sclera [8]
- Uveitis[8]
Neurological causes for photophobia include:
- Autism spectrum disorders[12]
- Chiari malformation
- Dyslexia[13]
- Encephalitis[8] including Myalgic encephalomyelitis aka Chronic fatigue syndrome[14]
- Meningitis[8]
- Subarachnoid haemorrhage[15]
- Tumor of the posterior cranial fossa[8]
Other causes
- Ankylosing spondylitis[16] — Causes Uveitis as an extra-articular feature.
- Albinism[17]
- Ariboflavinosis[18]
- Benzodiazepines (long term use of or withdrawal from benzodiazepines)[19][20]
- Chemotherapy[8]
- Chikungunya[21]
- Cystinosis[8]
- Drug withdrawal
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome[22]
- Infectious mononucleosis (Glandular Fever)[23][24]
- Influenza[25]
- Magnesium deficiency[26]
- Mercury poisoning[27]
- Migraine[28]
- Rabies[29]
- Tyrosinemia type II, also known as "Richner-Hanhart syndrome"[8]
- snake bite[citation needed]
- Lyme disease
Treatment
The best treatment for light sensitivity is to address the underlying cause. Once the triggering factor is treated, photophobia disappears in many but not all cases.[30]
People with photophobia will avert their eyes from direct light, such as sunlight and room lights. They may seek the shelter of a dark room. They may wear sunglasses designed to filter peripheral light and wide-brimmed sun hats.
A study by Stringham and Hammond, published in the Journal of Food Science, discusses the improvement in visual performance and decrease in light sensitivity (glare) in subjects taking 10 mg Lutein and 2 mg Zeaxanthin per day.[31]
See also
- Photic sneeze reflex, a medical condition by which people exposed to bright light sneeze
- Photosensitivity in humans
References
- ↑ thefreedictionary.com/photophobia citing:
- Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers. 2007
- The American Heritage Medical Dictionary Copyright 2007
- Miller-Keane Encyclopedia & Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. 2003
- Millodot: Dictionary of Optometry and Visual Science, 7th edition. 2009
- ↑ thefreedictionary.com/photophobia citing:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008
- Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. 2009
- McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. 2002
- ↑ thefreedictionary.com/photophobia citing:
- The American Heritage Medical Dictionary Copyright 2007
- Millodot: Dictionary of Optometry and Visual Science, 7th edition. 2009
- ↑ φῶς, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
- ↑ φόβος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
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- ↑ Dr. Diana Driscoll, Ehlers-Danlos Eye Dr PDF
- ↑ A.D.A.M, [1]
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