Jan 27, 2015

Snow Days Are Painful Days

My head is throbbing. And it hurts to look at anything. Even with my eyes closed.

"Snow blindness" is a well known condition that's a specific form of photokeratitis, a painful reaction to ultraviolet light. In the case of snow blindness, snow and ice reflect UV rays from the sun and the cornea responds by becoming inflamed.

The distinction between photophobia (light sensitivity) and photokeratitus is an important one in that it explains why sunny days and incandescent lights are okay for me, but overcast days and fluorescent lights are intolerable. And photophobia goes away as soon as the lights are out, but photokeratitis persists because the inflammation if pulling on muscles all over my face and head.

Still, I love the snow, even when it gives me a migraine.

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