Do We Really Know Enough About the Eye, Itself?

Some people, such as my daughter, Katie (generic), experience seeing text on a page, due to lighting conditions. There were times when Katie could see the print, but being that it was so inconsistent, Katie struggled in school.

In certain situations, one might also have a similar experience due to eye fatigue. I know for a fact I’ve had a problem when I’ve been reading too long and the print on a page forms a circle. It doesn’t happen that often, but when it does, it can be quite scary!

What is photophobia? Well, according to definition it is “painful sensitivity to strong light.” Now, of course, who wouldn’t have that problem? It’s why we wear sunglasses! But it is much more than that! Ironically, you won’t find the information on the Internet and that’s because most people are not aware that photophobia is an ‘umbrella’ term referring to how the eye filters different forms of light and for some, can cause reading and writing problems. For those having severe photophobia, the light in a room can cause the print on white paper to become distorted, making it impossible to read.

It was an off and on vision problem for my youngest child, Katie (generic). It was a very confusing time, since she read better at home, than at school. As for her writing, it was a total mess when using a pencil and white paper, but much better when using a black marker on tan-colored paper.

Once Katie was properly diagnosed as being visually handicapped (photophobia) by a neuro-ophthalmologist, the public school system had to provide special education services for her. However, they didn’t understand Katie was, indeed, visually handicapped, depending on lighting conditions. However, whether they understood it or not, a medical letter had been provided with suggested accommodations, including the need for assistive technology. A medical letter is a legal document in a court of law. So, the school system had to make an exception and provide her with certain accommodations. Those accommodations helped Katie to graduate from high school.

Eventually, Katie overcame her disability through a very simple method (mentioned in her story, “Not Dyslexia, It’s Photophobia,”) and graduated from Radford University with honors.

Now, going back to the question, the answer is an affirmative, “NO!” No, we don’t know enough about the human eye, nor do we know enough about the human brain.

Katie’s story, “Not Dyslexia, It’s Photophobia,” is available on Overdrive (digital public library system).

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional. The information shared in this post comes from my personal experience and opinion when it came to helping my daughter, Katie.