Photophobia | EPFL Graph Search

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Photophobia is a medical symptom of abnormal intolerance to visual perception of light. 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, though the term is sometimes additionally applied to abnormal or irrational fear of light such as heliophobia. The term photophobia comes from the Greek φῶς (phōs), meaning "light", and φόβος (phóbos), meaning "fear". Patients may develop photophobia as a result of several different medical conditions, related to the eye, the nervous system, genetic, or other causes. Photophobia may manifest itself in 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, TMJ, cataracts, Sjögren syndrome, mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), or severe ophthalmologic diseases such as uveitis or corneal abrasion. A more extensive list follows: Causes of photophobia relating directly to the eye itself include: Achromatopsia Aniridia Anticholinergic drugs may cause photophobia by paralyzing the iris sphincter muscle.

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Influence of macular pigment on the sensitivity to discomfort glare from daylight

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Understanding the factors that influence the human perception of glare is necessary to properly address glare risks in buildings and achieve comfortable visual environments, especially in the workplace. Yet large inter-individual variabilities in glare per ...

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Discomfort glare from daylight: Influence of transmitted color and the eye's macular pigment

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Designing architectural façades that allow sufficient daylight to create visually comfortable and pleasantenvironments is a challenging aspect of building design. It requires accounting for visual comfort anddiscomfort glare risks and understanding the fac ...

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Designing architectural façades that allow sufficient daylight to create visually comfortable and pleasant environments is a challenging aspect of building design as it requires to account for visual comfort and discomfort glare risks, and understand the f ...

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Uveitis

Uveitis (ˌjuːvi.aɪtIs) is inflammation of the uvea, the pigmented layer of the eye between the inner retina and the outer fibrous layer composed of the sclera and cornea. The uvea consists of the middle layer of pigmented vascular structures of the eye and includes the iris, ciliary body, and choroid. Uveitis is described anatomically, by the part of the eye affected, as anterior, intermediate or posterior, or panuveitic if all parts are involved.

Keratitis

Keratitis is a condition in which the eye's cornea, the clear dome on the front surface of the eye, becomes inflamed. The condition is often marked by moderate to intense pain and usually involves any of the following symptoms: pain, impaired eyesight, photophobia (light sensitivity), red eye and a 'gritty' sensation. Acute epithelial keratitis Nummular keratitis Interstitial keratitis Disciform keratitis Neurotrophic keratitis Mucous plaque keratitis Herpes simplex keratitis (dendritic keratitis).

Meningitis

Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or altered consciousness, nausea, vomiting, and an inability to tolerate light or loud noises. Young children often exhibit only nonspecific symptoms, such as irritability, drowsiness, or poor feeding. A non-blanching rash (a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it) may also be present.