Eye Swelling and Light Sensitivity

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Question:
One of my eyes visibly swells and I get headaches which include light sensitivity when this happens. It is the left eye and it also has the tendency to be sensitive to air, watery, and gets blurry when it swells. Does this sound like a problem I should worry about, or a problem I should just deal with?  

Answer:
This sounds like some issue related to the tissues around and behind the eye, taking in fluid and causing the eye to bulge forward which makes it sensitive to ambient air, leading to dryness with overproduction of tears. The most common underpinning of this is early signs of thyroid dysfunction. There are other rarer causes such as sinus disease and certain vascular problems. If this is happening often or is worsening, you should see your ophthalmologist who can recommend the best pathway.

Answered by: Richard Bensinger, MD  

Categories: Eye Conditions

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