Why are some people more sensitive to glare?

Some people don't seem to be bothered by the brightness of sunlight, while others almost can't go outside without having sunwear on.

The cause of the feeling we call glare is scattered light inside the eye.  When light from an object gets scattered, it lands on a bigger area at the back of the eye than it ought to - giving that over-bright feeling.  Sudden, painful glare sensitivity can sometimes be due to serious eye problems - such as acute glaucoma, or inflammation inside the eye - and so should be checked out straight away.  People with cataracts often notice their eyes becoming more sensitive to glare over time, but more serious conditions aside, why the differences in glare sensitivity amongst people who otherwise have healthy eyes?

A number of factors can contribute to greater glare sensitivity

• Pale coloured irises
• Large sized pupils
• Dry eyes/ poor quality tears
• Floaters
• Small amounts of haze in the lens of the eye
• Deposits on contact lenses
• Dirty glasses
• Hormonal changes
• Some medications and medical conditions