# Eyes exposed to bright sunlight, but only one eye hurts

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyes-exposed-to-bright-sunlight-but-only-one-eye-hurts/724381>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 6, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyes-exposed-to-bright-sunlight-but-only-one-eye-hurts/724381 "2015-07-06T03:38:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyes-exposed-to-bright-sunlight-but-only-one-eye-hurts/724381/1 "2015-07-06T03:38:37Z")

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I was in bright sunlight for several hours today and now my left eye feels glaucoma-ish, hurts and feels pressure inside But my right eye was dealing with the same UV radiation and feels fine.  
What’s causing the pain, and why one eye only?

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**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyes-exposed-to-bright-sunlight-but-only-one-eye-hurts/724381/2 "2015-07-06T03:59:17Z")

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Not a doctor, but my irises don’t close as far as they should in bright light, and although I can get used to it, prolonged exposure is increasingly painful. Perhaps one of your eyes has a condition like this and the other one doesn’t.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyes-exposed-to-bright-sunlight-but-only-one-eye-hurts/724381/3 "2015-07-06T04:07:39Z")

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Which eye is dominant? (if you remember, it might not be easy for you to test right now)

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**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyes-exposed-to-bright-sunlight-but-only-one-eye-hurts/724381/4 "2015-07-06T04:09:37Z")

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How does the rest of your head feel? Any other symptoms? Sometimes my migraines start this way, and bright light is a trigger.

It’s hard to tell from an Internet description. If your eye continues to bother you, see a doc.

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyes-exposed-to-bright-sunlight-but-only-one-eye-hurts/724381/5 "2015-07-06T04:40:40Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> Which eye is dominant? (if you remember, it might not be easy for you to test right now)

Right eye is dominant. Left eye hurts.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyes-exposed-to-bright-sunlight-but-only-one-eye-hurts/724381/6 "2015-07-06T04:44:04Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Right eye is dominant. Left eye hurts.

I don’t know, maybe your dominant eye is better at squinting and preventing over-exposure to sunlight. On the other hand maybe you got something in your left eye and it has nothing to do with sunlight. I hope it’s as simple as that.