Eye Sensitivity

[khaarina]

Been have a lot more eye sensitivity than usual: to tv's, computer screens, and Iphone. I find myself squinting, eyes watering, burning, etc. when I am looking at any screen, even for a short time. I know, I should just cut back on the electronics, but I have to wonder if it means anything since it is so much worse than usual. Anyone else have this problem?

[Mydoggielovesme2]

Absolutely, I've had this problem for years now. The worst for me is being in a dark room and then have a light come on. OMG the pain! Eye Dr says nothing wrong, but it sure feels like there is. All my glasses are tinked. There are other threads on here and many have this problem. :-) take care, hope it gets better for you.

[Batik]

Have you tried changing the screen brightness? Changing the colour scheme can help as well. F-lux is a good programme for reducing glare on Windows machines, and Screen Adjuster is a goods Android app. I have Meares-Irlen Syndrome, and am sensitive to light, especially fluorescent (low-energy) light. I don't have any fluorescent bulbs at home, and have special tinted glasses to wear when I'm out, since almost everywhere has fluorescent light these days. Also try eye drops if your eyes are sore.

[Canadiangirl73]

The burning was one of the first symptoms I had when dysautonomia struck. I still have it. I recently had a complete eye workup (scanned my peepers through and through) and in the end was told I have SEVERE eye dryness. The ophthalmologist told me eye dryness can cause burning, photophobia (light sensitivity), blurry vision, etc. I now put lubricating eye drops several times a day. I helps. Maybe you can try some.

[lejones1]

Yes, I just started getting this on and off a few weeks ago and it's kind of alarming. I had an EEG 2 weeks ago and the flashing light portion made me feel so sick I thought I was going to pass out, but it came back normal. Is yours just to screens or to other light as well?

Canadiangirl, can dry eyes cause really painful tears? I also noticed for the last few weeks that my eyes BURN whenever I tear up or cry. Kind of like getting sunscreen in my eyes, but there's nothing on my face. (Sorry to hijack this thread with my own question!)

[Batik]

I get that too, we used to have a joke about "radioactive tears". I also find that getting water in my eyes hurts as badly as soap, and in fact sometimes just the steam in the shower is enough to make my eyes sting and swell shut painfully.

[Katybug]

My sensitivity to the light from electronics seems to correlate with my migraines.

[Batik]

That makes sense, from what my Magic Disappearing Eye Specialist has told me. You're not using those really old-fashioned big CRT computer screens, are you? Vicious things for migraine, those are.

Incidentally, my eye specialist found that grey was the best colour for tinting my lenses to ward off the effects of fluorescent light. She said it's quite common for that to be a good colour to use. It's pretty convenient, as you can have grey lenses made up by any optician whereas specific colours are trickier and more expensive, plus you get stared a lot less than when you're wearing brightly-coloured lenses in your specs.

[khaarina]

I went to the doc and he told me that my pupils are too dilated and this is why I am getting eye sensitivity and headaches. He said to wait and see if it goes away on its own. It hasn't. Actually it's worse. My pupils wont constrict in the light. It hurts to even look at my iPhone right now with the brightness turned all the way down. Does this go away, or are there treatments for it?

[Guest Alex]

Khaarina,

have you ever had the blood work for autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy? ( it's called anti- AChR antibody)

Aside from some typical dysautonomia features, one of the sx is - impaired pupilary reflexes and you seem to have that . Your pupils don't constrict in the light.

You may want to do a search on the forum for that.

I posted a collection of articles a while back and there are some full text ones written by Steve Vernino and his team that describe the symptoms associated with that...wish I had the time to look for it now...(my post was called 'collection of articles' or something like that)

Maybe you should print one of the articles and show it to your dr - a neurologist preferably.

Best,

Alex

[tinkerbella]

I have had this forever. It is sooooo bad that I have plugs put in my tear ducts. I have to be careful not to rub them out. I need to go back and get new ones on now. Wearing sunglasses indoors helps. Don't use regular eyes drops, you need Preservative free or they will just irritate your eyes. If your insurance will cover them Restasis work well for most people. Severe dry eyes can be a symptom of Sojourn syndrome or Sicca syndrome.

Good Luck all and take care of your eyes and see your eye doctor. He found I had retina problems in one eye going on. I've heard other potsie's say the same thing. I also have a hard time with my eyes after the doctor dilates them. It takes days for them to get back to the right size.

[Guest Alex]

here you have some articles - guess I had the time after all...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2637993/pdf/nihms86030.pdf Autonomic Ganglia: Target and Novel Therapeutic Tool

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2963144/pdf/nihms-237579.pdf Autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy: treatment by plasma exchanges and rituximab

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2837591/pdf/6652.pdf Efficacy of immunotherapy in seropositive and seronegative putative autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677210/pdf/nihms102466.pdf Autonomic ganglia, acetylcholine receptor antibodies, and autoimmune ganglionopathy

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2190728/pdf/nihms35145.pdf Dysfunction of the Pupillary Light Reflex in Experimental Autoimmune Autonomic Ganglionopathy

Reduced or absent pupillary light reflex is seen in many patients and may help distinguish AAG from other autonomic disorders (Klein et al., 2003, Sandroni et al., 2004, Suarez et al., 1994, Vernino et al., 2000)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2615674/pdf/nihms-35218.pdf Autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy: IgG effects on ganglionic acetylcholine receptor current

Alex

[kitt]

Have always had an extreme sensitivity to light, and also have blurred vision when I 'least suspect it'. Don't know why but it still surprises me when I can't read the words on the computer screen or focus on the television.

A few weeks ago I saw an opthamologist with what I felt like was a new kind of eye issue.

Have always had extreme itching and redness in and around my eyes due to mast cell issues, but a few weeks ago I began waking in the morning with my eyelids literally 'stuck' together. My eyelashes were also stuck together. It was like a crusty glue.

Couldn't open my eyes until I got to the sink and applied a warm compress. Thought it would 'go away', (always my first thought and hope with a new symptom), but it didn't.

The opthamologist did an exam and prescribed a drop called Zylet. Contains corticosteroid and an antibiotic.

It helped with some (but not all) of the stinging pain and some of the crusting but the issues continue around my eye area. If it continues will see a dermatologist. It's significant and noticeable by other people and it's in both eyes. So want to get it resolved.

Has anyone taken Zylet or had this kind of issue?

[khaarina]

Thanks, Alex. I skimmed all the articles and though I had never heard of it before, AAG does seem to fit. I will definitely bring this up to my neurologist when I find one.

[blueskies]

Hi,

I'm extremely sensitive to light. I also have chronic daily migraine (treated but body is adjusting to meds and I'm getting more breakthrough pain. I've found it best to stay away from the computer as much as possible (it's a new one and has a less hard to look at screen) and when I do ignore the fact that spending hours on the comp. makes my migraine problem worse I pay for it.

I wear sunglasses most of the time. Always when outside, in stores etc. When migrainous I often wear them inside as well if I can stand the pressure of the arms of the glasses on my head.

Just recently I read that polaroid sunglasses are the best for migraineurs. Not sure if this is just someone's experience or been scientifically tested but it does make sense because polarised sunglasses really cut out a lot more glare -- eg. when at the beach you might see an expanse of water but with the polarised sunglasses on you can see through the water to the rocks underneath. I know this because I did have a pair once and was amazed by how much I could see that was hidden by glare when wearing very good but also nonpolarised glasses.

I'm foggy today and keep thinking that 'polaroid' is the wrong word. But I'm pretty sure it is.

blue