What Causes A Sensitivity To Light?

Wearing Improper Contact Lenses

An individual affected by light sensitivity may be wearing improper contact lenses. Contact lenses are typically worn to correct visual deficits, though some individuals use contact lenses for novelty and cosmetic purposes. Contact lenses require a prescription from a doctor to obtain because they can seriously harm the eyes if they are used improperly. Improper contact lenses can cause an individual to experience inflammation in their eye that results in swelling, redness, and increased light sensitivity.

Improper contact lenses can also cause the eyes to become excessively dry, which is another condition known to produce a sensitivity to light. Improper contact lenses can greatly contribute to the development of an eye infection, which produces inflammation and photophobia. To prevent sensitivity to light from improper contact lenses, an individual should have a contact lens fitting and an eye examination by an ophthalmologist.

Certain Medications

An individual who takes certain medications may experience a sensitivity to light as an adverse side effect. There are also some supplements that produce light sensitivity. Common medications that induce sensitivity to light may include antihistamines, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, quinine, furosemide, oral contraceptives, estrogen-based contraceptives, sulfonamides, and tricyclic anti-depressants. Approximately one percent of individuals who use the medications naproxen and ibuprofen experience a painful sensitivity to light. Phenytoin, used for the treatment of seizures and epilepsy, can cause numerous vision-related adverse side effects, including a sensitivity to light.

Methotrexate can increase sensitivity to light in some individuals who take it. Methotrexate is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and is used in chemotherapy cocktails to treat specific forms of cancer. The antibiotics doxycycline and tetracycline are used to treat certain bacterial infections, sexually transmitted diseases, urinary tract infections, and some forms of acne. These antibiotics are also known to produce light sensitivity and other eye-related side effects.