I am the most sensitive to light ever and I've always been, is this normal or bad?

Photophobia (light/glare sensitivity) can be a very painful, stressful situation that can become permanent for some patients.  Often patients will ask this very question, why am I so sensitive to all lights even indoors?  It's usually worse at night when patients are driving or watching television in a dark room.  So let's discuss the billion reasons this may happen, I'll try my best to keep it to a million.   

The first and most common that comes to mind is astigmatism.  Astigmatism is so often the reason for subtle, annoying problems in the visual system.  Light is being diffracted (scattered) in multiple directions due to the curvature of the cornea, worse in darker settings since the pupil is naturally larger.  A pair of corrective glasses with anti-glare will not only clear your vision but also reduce the glare.  Sadly patients aren't always educated on their visual discrepancy and find themselves with symptoms that continue.  If your doctor has recommended spectacles for computer, driving and/or reading....you might have astigmatism and may need to wear them more full-time to reduce your photophobia. 

Cataracts (the yellowing of the transparent lens inside the eye) also acts like astigmatism in refracting light in many directions to cause photophobia.  The older we are (>age 50) the more glare our eyes experience.  Sadly glasses don't help much, surgery is more often recommended in these cases. 

Eye color can also contribute to photophobia.  Lighter eyes have less pigment, hence more light can get though to increase glare all over the retina.  Yet some of my darker irises also experience photophobia, so not entirely exclusive.  Still anti-glare on your lenses and reduction of pupil size could help in these settings.  If you turn a lamp on while watching television, the pupil will constrict to reduce the light that enters the eye to increase your visual comfort.  

Now some patients may experience momentary, painful photophobia.  This will be accompanied by other discomforts (pain, tearing, floaters, discharge, etc.) which can be associated to a corneal injury or internal ocular inflammation.  Visit your Optometrist or Ophthalmologist to get some information, treatment and relief as this may be connected to other systemic issues.  Don't ignore your eyes, they tell  stories of your health and wellness.  

See and Be Seen! at Eyed LA Optometry in Brentwood, West Los Angeles

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