Photophobia

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**Photophobia**
*Classifications and external resources*
ICD-10	H53.1
ICD-9	368.13

Photophobia (also light sensitivity) is a symptom of excessive sensitivity to light and the aversion to sunlight or well-lit places. Patients with photophobia usually seek the shelter of a dark room.

1 Causes
2 In mythology
3 In fiction
4 References
5 External Links

[edit] Causes

Patients may develop photophobia as a result of several different medical conditions, related to the eye or the nervous system.

Meningitis
Eye disease, injury, or infection such as chalazion, episcleritis, glaucoma
Burns to the eye
Migraines
Encephalitis
Conjunctivitis
Aphakia
Iritis
Corneal abrasion
Corneal ulcer
Cataracts
Retinal detachment

Anticholinergic drugs may cause photophobia by paralyzing the iris sphincter muscle.

[edit] In mythology

In folklore and mythology, many creatures suffer from photophobia.

The Norse troll is said to either turn to stone or become trapped above ground when the sun rises.
According to Paracelsus, gnomes explode when they go above ground. As C.S. Lewis puts it, "if he thrust out his face…[it] would break into splinters, bursting as a man would burst in interstellar space."
In English folklore, goblins are said to be unable to bear light.
A common element of the vampire myth says that vampires perish, generally by burning or turning to ash, when exposed to direct sunlight.

[edit] In fiction

In J.R.R. Tolkien's works, goblins are said to get wobbly legs and become giddy in the head when outside, while trolls turn to stone.
In Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, the zombies from the movie Zombies in the Snow are forced to retreat during daylit hours.
In the films Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch, the Mogwai (both pre- and post-metamorphosis) are incredibly sensitive to bright light; direct sunlight on their skin will kill them in a matter of seconds.
It is common tradition that vampires burn and/or explode when exposed to light. However, in the film 'Bram Stoker's Dracula', featuring Gary Oldman as Count Dracula, his character is able to walk through the streets of Whitby in the daytime, wearing sunglasses to protect only his eyes from the light.
In the films 'Blade', 'Blade 2' and 'Blade 3', Wesley Snipes plays a half vampire half human, known as 'The Daywalker', i.e. a vampire that can walk in the light without fear of burning/exploding.
A character from the anime Ouran High School Host Club, Umehito Nekozawa, avoids light, and wears a hood all the time to protect himself from it. When exposed to light after a short time, he collapses.