eyes...sensitive to sun light

[dreamyeyes]

     I was just wondering if others experience sensitivity to sunlight. For about 15 years now my eyes have been extremely sensitive to bright lights, especially sunlight, full or partial sun. I can not go outside without sun glasses on even for a few moments. Also, the head lights on vehicles coming towards me at night bother my eyes to the point of near blindness. Therefore I try not to drive after dark. Could this be another symptom of MS? I have always joked about just being allergic to the sun!!!

[Heather3418]

This too, is something that bothers me.  Is it from MS?  I don't know.  It certainly does require follow-up with an Optometrist or Opthamalogist. (sp?)

Please keep us posted.  Your eyesight is so precious.  I wouldn't take any chances...

I hope the best for you and will include you in prayers.

Heather

[nette573]

Yes, my eyes too!  I have had this problem with the direct sun light and also the driveing at night meeting cars.  If anyone flashes a light in my eyes also. It really hurts also. Lynette

[mokibear]

I too have this but I have a lot of eye problems right now and no real answers, so I can't really tell you what it is from. If I find out, I will be sure to let you know.

As you can tell from the posts, you are not alone in this.

Moki

[cjacks]

I'm having eye problems , always wear sunglasses outside .  Not sure what the other stuff is about , usually can't see well ( optho says I'm fine ??) except atypical optic nerves??  Sometimes inside I need to wear the sun glasses with a visored hat , especially at night ( what a picture)

. Driving at night is quite an experience ..don't do much of it anymore.

Take care

[essdipity]

Gosh, me too. I need sunglasses much more than other people, and thought maybe blue eyes are more senstive or some such. And I've cut way down on driving at night because of the glare. Nothing much wrong with my eyes otherwise.

I wonder if all this is just coincidence??

ess

[Heather3418]

Oh gosh...now we have a NEW group...the "Squint Girls."

Let's see how many do we have now, the "hot broads the Spazers, the Squint Girls..."  Sorry guys we don't mean to exclude you, if you also have the Squints.."Squint Boys?"

Heather

[BondyinOz]

Yep, you can add me to the Squint Girls - I've had particular problems with this for about 7 years. My eyes are so sensitive to the sunlight that if I go without sunglasses now my eyes weep and I have to close them completely.

I have blue eyes too and am fair, so that would certainly not help, but maybe it is something to do with whatever is going on with me?

Mel

[pennst8r]

I have to have my office dark at work and sunglasses outside (sometimes inside if on the computer or can't escape the light). Never liked light. My office is affectionately called the Bat Cave, coz it's dark and cold (can't stand heat either). It keeps people's visits to my office brief though! I still have aline @ my door every day, but they don't stay long, lol!

Penn

[TonkaSpirit]

My eyes are sensitive to the sunlight, but what is really weird that I noticed on thanksgiving is that when people were taking pictures with the flash, it irritated me to the point that I wanted to hide the camera.  Then they would say look at the picture and I could not see it, like at all.  As if the flash had temporarily messed with my eyesight.  I just pretended that I could see it.  Has this happened to anyone?  It was scary for me.  I also notice that if I look at a light or the tv, and then look away the flashing or shadows seem to play with me eyesight for a while.  I'm not sure I can explain what I mean, unless it happens to anyone else.  I hope I am making some sense. My eyes seem like they won't focus completely either.  
Terrie

[grannyhotwheels]

Every type of bright light hurts my eyes.  Sun light is the worst.  I love to sat at my dining room table and look out of the patio door.  There is nothing but woods behind my house and I occasionally see deer and always watch the squirrels.  Sitting right there catches the morning sun and I sometimes will put my sunglasses on just so I can look out without it hurting.  Everyone laughs at me.

Besides all of that babbling I just did it is contributed to MS.  I pray you will get better because I know how hard this is.

I'll be praying,
Carol

[Super_sally888]

Hey Gals,

I'll join you here as a squint girl.  

Sunlight hurts, bright lights hurt. The lights the opthamologist use to check eyes hurts.

But just got a clean bill from the latest opthamologist check, but not no bill!

I love my sunglasses.  Driving in the early mornings with bright sun is most uncomfortable without them.  I'm usually still in the office at sunset, so no issue there. :)

I think there have been studies about people with MS having longer after image after bright lights or camera flashes etc.

Another mystery.  Let's just chalk it up with all the rest.

Take care gals and hope you're having a great and comfortable and relaxing weekend...

Sally

[Wobbly]

Me too, most mornings when I open my eyes, I need to put sunglasses on...I can't even put a light on in the house for about 10 min...the light in the house hurts my eyes.  I squint for awhile and my eyes feel like they are burning.  Sunlight is so bad too and no way to I drive at night.  Do other people feel strange in a car...when you are a passenger or driver?  it's like a dizzy wobbly feeling?
Oh well..more and more..but I have to get my eyes checked again...last time they said Dry Eyes, but it has gotten 100 times worse..thanks

[dreamyeyes]

     WOW!!!! I am amazed at the response I got on this question!! I was definantly not expecting so many people to have the same problem.
      I keep my house pretty dark, all the curtains are normally closed and I even have alluminum foil covering my bedroom window. I love it dark, from the sunlight, but I do keep the ceiling lights on all the time. Everyone questions me as to why its always so closed up. I love to sit on my front deck and watch the wildlife, flower....I also live in the woods, completely surrounded by the east texas piney woods. But I sit out there with my sunglasses on...lol. As for watching Tv, I just dont do alot of watching, but when I do, I cant handle watching Tv in the dark, I light from the Tv bothers me, I have to have an overhead light on. And I think the computer causes alot of my headaches, maybe from the light on the screen, dont really know.
     Riding as a passenger in a vehicle, I better be in the front seat. I can not ride in the back. By the time we get where we are going, I will definantly feet sick, wobbly, and very out of sorts. On long trips I prefer to drive!!!

[TonkaSpirit]

After image, that is the word I was looking for. Thank you.  Yeah, I see an after image after a flash for a long time.  You are a funny gal, with your "clean bill, but not no bill".  Have a great day!
Terrie

[KAUTION]

is it true that some light eyes are sensitive TO SUN LIGHT

[ELT]

   Hi, can I join the Squint Girls?  Haha!!  

   I've had enough eye issues to send me to a neuro-opthalmalogist.  He didn't see anything untoward, apparently.  Yet, I have lots of issues, at different times.  Double vision, blurred  vision in one eye, phosphenes, floaters, pain.  

   Bright lights, sun, all hurt my eyes.  Sudden lights are worst.  I like my energy efficient bulb I put in my light beside my bed.  It has an added bonus I hadn't thought of.  It takes it a bit to get to full light, so, I just lie there and wait for my eyes to adjust.  Car lights are deadly, if I catch a hint that a car is coming towards us, (my bf drives, I don't) I look towards the ditch and squint my eyes almost shut,  It hurts bigtime otherwise, and blinds me for a bit.

   How is it possible that they can see nothing when they examine my eyes?  Granted, it's been almost two years since I saw the neuro-opthalmalogist, but I did see the optometrist a bit ago.  All she saw was that my left eye, the one with the vaseline like presence in the way of my vision, had a paler, thinner retina than my right eye.  She attributed it to the aging process.  I sat there, blank, and didn't think to ask her, "Are both my eyes not the same age?"  Lol  I mean, if that's the eye with the ongoing issues, maybe the change in it's appearance is relevant?

   Aaaarrgggghhh!!!   Who knows?

   So, can I join?  What are the dues to the "Squint Girls"?  Haha!!

   Erica

[gooddays]

HELLO EVERYONE,

FROM WHAT I JUST READ, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT COLOR EYES WE HAVE, BUT HOW BAD LIGHT AFFECTS ALL OF US.   MY LAST VISIT TO THE NEURO-OPTALMOLOGIST TWO MONTHS AGO, HE TOLD ME THAT MY PUPILS WERE A LITTLE DIALATED WITHOUT PUTTING ANY DROPS IN THEM AND ALSO TOLD ME THAT SOME MEDICATIONS MAY TEND TO HURT YOUR EYES WHILE EXPOSED TO BRIGHT LIGHTS.  

LIKE I TOLD RENA A LITTLE WHILE AGO, I LIVE IN THE TROPICS SO THE SUN IS ALWAYS BRIGHT AND IT ALWAYS HURT MY EYES.  BY THE WAY I HAVE BROWN EYES.  REMEMBER I AM THE ONE WITH THE EYE PATCH FOR 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR.

I HAVE SPECIAL LENSES TO WATCH TV, WHICH I SELDOM USE, I AM NOT INTO TV THAT MUCH.  THE LENSES DO HELP TO BRING THE SCENES CLOSER AND TEND TO DEEM THE BRIGHT LIGHT THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH TELEVISION.

HEATHER, "SQUINT GIRLS" SOUND LIKE WRINKLES, I HAVE ALWAYS CALLED MY SELF "MRS. MAGOO" FROM MY DAYS OF WATCHING MR. MAGOO'S CARTOONS.  OF COURSE WITH OUR EYE PROBLEMS, WE MAY NOT SEE ANY WRINKLES AT ALL, EVEN IT THEY ARE A FOOT DEEP!!!!!!!!!!!

ERICA YOU CRACKED ME UP WITH YOUR EYES AGE!!!!!!! I AM STILL LAUGHING, THANK YOU I NEEDED IT.

NOW INSTEAD OF THE BEST MS FORUM WOMEN, WE MAY HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT NAMES BASED ON HOW MUCH LIGHT HURTS OUR EYES!!!!!!!  INTERESTING?

EVERYONE TAKE GOOD CARE AND IF A SUNGLASS COMPANY WANTS TO SPONSOR ANY OF YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR EYES, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF US AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO SPONSOR ALL OF US, OR GET OUT OF BUSINESS.

LOVE AND KISSES,

ZULMA

[Momzilla]

Hey, I get that "after-image."  That's exactly what I have called it, but have always chalked it up to migraines, which it may be....

Squinty*

[ELT]

   Oooooooooooooooo, the after image.  I mentionned that to an ms specialist and he looked rather dismissive.  But I find that what I look at lingers, so when I look away, especially to a plain background, I can see the same shape, for a long while after.  Not the colours, just the shape, and in fact, dark things appear light, light, dark, or somehting like that, lol.

   Erica

[LATW]

I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. MY EYE DOCTOR CALLED IT "PHOTO SESITIVITY" OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.  

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME WITH EYE EXAMS.  AS I HAVE GOTTEN OLDER I FOUND I NEED SUN GLASSES MORE OFTEN, BUT I WAS STILL ABLE TO HAVE MY HOUSE LIGHT.  

NOW THAT ON HAS SET IN I HAVE THE SHADES PULLED 100% OF THE TIME. WHEN MY ON SET IN THE FIRST TIME I EVEN WORE SUNGLASSES IN THE HOUSE DAY AND NIGHT IF THE LIGHTS WERE ON.  

I DO OK WITH LOW LIGHTING THAT IS NOT OVER MY HEAD. I DO NOT HANDLE FLORESENT LIGHTS WELL AT ALL. NOT ONLY DOES IT AFFECT MY VISION BUT IT LITERALLY MAKES MY HEAD SPIN AND I GET SICK TO MY STOMACH.

DON'T KNOW IF THAT HELPS ANY.  I WAS DX'D WITH MS LAST WEEK.  :(


LEE ANN

[dannig]

I was diagnosed with photo sensitivity 9 years ago and was told by the ophth. that it is common in people that are fair skinned and have blue eyes.  My pupils actually dilate-contract-dilate-contract (sort of like a spasm) in bright light when they hould only contract.  I don't even have to have my pupils dilated during eye exams because they do it on their own.  Now 2 months ago I started having bladder dysfunction (never had a baby) and am currently going through testing for MS.  I never thought about the 2 being related, but I will definately tell my nerologist.

[LATW]

I am light skinned, was blond when I was little, blue eyes.....

Lee Ann

[TiredPT]

Fair skinned, blue eyes, sensitive to light but significantly increased after my first hospitalization due to high EBV titers.  Has gotten to the point that I avoid driving at night at almost all costs -- headlights from oncoming cars blind me.

So . . . . can I join too????  Always wanted to be part of a club :)

[tmjfibro]

I am  fair skinned blue eyes ,blonde hair (with the aid of a dye bottle)
I was diagonized  with  photo-sensitivty   5 years ago  .my opthamolgist  said its because I  
have blue eyes and blue eyed people are prone to it .I am short -sighted so
I now wear Reactalight glasses .as the sunlight is very  painful on my eyes