Photophobia
Type: Symptom
Definition
A severe, painful sensitivity to normal levels of ambient light.
Clinical Details
The intense meningeal inflammation hyperexcites the cranial nerves that supply sensation to the eyes and brain coverings. Visual stimuli arriving via the optic nerve inexplicably trigger these sensitized pain pathways, making even moderate light feel like a physical assault on the brain. Patients strongly prefer to lie completely still in dark, quiet rooms.