Night-time light sensitivity: what to know

Photophobia is discomfort or pain triggered by light. Headlights, screens, lamps, and sudden changes from darkness to brightness can expose it. Dry eyes, a scratched or inflamed eye, and conjunctivitis can make light feel harsh. Migraine may cause light sensitivity with headache, nausea, visual changes, or sound sensitivity; migraine presents with light sensitivity, but light sensitivity alone does not establish migraine.

Meningitis can present with light sensitivity alongside severe headache, fever, neck stiffness, vomiting, confusion, or marked drowsiness. That combination needs urgent assessment. Review any recently started medicines with a clinician, because some can increase sensitivity.

Use warm, low-level lighting and reduce screen brightness without staring at a bright screen in a dark room. Wear sunglasses outdoors if glare is uncomfortable, but avoid keeping very dark glasses on indoors for long periods because this may make ordinary light feel harder to tolerate. Rest your eyes, use prescribed eye drops as directed, and record triggers, duration, headache features, eye redness, and vision changes.

Arrange a routine review if the symptom keeps returning, affects sleep, or is accompanied by eye pain or blurred vision. Explore Light Sensitivity, Conjunctivitis, and Migraine for related information.

Seek urgent medical help for sudden severe light sensitivity with a severe headache, fever, stiff neck, confusion, fainting, repeated vomiting, weakness, or a new visual loss. Prompt eye assessment is also sensible for intense eye pain, a red eye with reduced vision, or an injury involving the eye.

Could dry eye, an eye infection, migraine, or a medicine explain my symptoms? Does my eye need an examination? Which symptoms should make me seek urgent help? Should I change any screen, lighting, or contact-lens habits while this is investigated?