October 5, 2019 - EyeClarity Blog
Photosensitivity, aka light sensitivity, occurs when our eyes become overly sensitive to light. Scientifically, this means that the neuron pathways in the retina are imbalanced. If you go outside after spending time indoors and exclaim, “Whoa! This is just too bright for me” you might be suffering from light sensitivity. Within photosensitivity, I’ve seen that people tend to have “alpha-omega” pupil, which means their pupils under constant chronic stress leading to an overworked sympathetic nervous system. The eye is in a “fight-flight-freeze” response. When that happens, the pupil tends to stay in a dilated state and it doesn’t constrict. In environments where the pupil stays dilated when it is supposed to constrict, like when there is bright light, it can lead to light sensitivity. Our peripheral vision field narrows, and it can lead to a variety of other side effects. Some symptoms of photosensitivity include tearing, watering eyes, eye discomfort, and, in some cases, eye pain.
Causes of Photosensitivity
This condition can either be an isolated problem or a symptom of other conditions such as stress, neurological imbalances, physical, emotional, or psychological trauma, reactions to drugs such as acne medication, diuretics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antihistamines, and even antibiotics, eye spasms, stress, and, most commonly, migraine headaches. Some researchers say that inflammation in the retina or inhibition of circulation in the micro capillaries in the retina can also trigger photosensitivity.
Other contributors could be problems with the cornea (especially if you suffer from conditions like dry eye syndrome, inflammation in the cornea like keratitis, or general corneal imbalances), tissue in the iris, uveitis, autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren’s disease, and/or irregular pupillary responses.
Deficiencies and imbalances can also affect your eyes’ sensitivity to light. Low levels of nutrients and carotenoids such as beta-carotene, vitamin A, lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin can affect your retinal health, while thyroid imbalances and adrenal imbalances like Lyme’s disease could also be contributing factors. Though often considered, pituitary gland tumors are likely not affecting the situation if your problem is chronic light sensitivity.
Suggested Treatments
- Protective eyewear: One easy treatment is making sure you wear lenses that block UVA and UVB rays. If you spend any time on digital devices such as phone or laptops, I would recommend getting darker amber lenses. Additionally, if driving at night is an issue, you can get anti-reflective coating on your lenses.
- Diet: Boosting your intake of carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, vitamin A, omega 3 fatty acids, saffron, and bilberry can help rectify your photosensitivity problem. Billberry is a great herbal formula that can actually help improve retinal circulation, improving overall retinal health.
- Exercises and therapies: The N Palm Hum and eye massage exercises on my website are really helpful for strengthening your eyes and reducing their sensitivity to light. You can do those with any eye drops you may be taking. I also recommend 3-5 minutes of color therapy daily, especially within blue and blue-green ranges. Acupuncture and craniosacral therapy can be useful supplementary tools in your regimen.
Solving light sensitivity problems is a process and can take some “detective work”, but hopefully the methods mentioned above can help you both pinpoint the cause of your sensitivity and find a method to begin treating it.