Photophobia

This article is about the human medical symptom. For the biological or botanical behavioral property, see Photophobia (biology). For the morbid fear of light, see Heliophobia. For the 2023 film, see Photophobia (film).

Photophobia
SpecialtyOphthalmology

Photophobia is a medical symptom of abnormal intolerance to visual perception of light.[1] As a medical symptom, photophobia is not a morbid fear or phobia, but an experience of discomfort or pain to the eyes due to light exposure or by presence of actual physical sensitivity of the eyes,[2] though the term is sometimes additionally applied to abnormal or irrational fear of light, such as heliophobia.[3] The term photophobia comes from Greek φῶς (phōs) 'light' and φόβος (phóbos) 'fear'.[4][5]

  1. ^ thefreedictionary.com/photophobia citing:
  2. ^ thefreedictionary.com/photophobia citing:
    • Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008
    • Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. 2009
    • McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. 2002
  3. ^ thefreedictionary.com/photophobia citing:
    • The American Heritage Medical Dictionary Copyright 2007
    • Millodot: Dictionary of Optometry and Visual Science, 7th edition. 2009
  4. ^ φῶς, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  5. ^ φόβος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus