Light or Noise Sensitivity
Sensitivity to light (photophobia) or sound (phonophobia) is a common sign that the nervous system is overstimulated or inflamed. It can feel like even normal light or everyday sounds are “too much,” triggering discomfort, pain, or the need to withdraw. This symptom often shows up alongside migraines, head tension, hormonal shifts, or after sensory overload.
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Eyes: discomfort in bright light, squinting, headaches
Ears/Head: irritability or pain from everyday sounds
Nervous system: general overstimulation, emotional fragility, or brain fog
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Imagine your nervous system is like a dimmer switch — normally, it filters and adjusts how much light or sound your brain has to deal with. But when it’s inflamed, depleted, or overwhelmed, that switch gets stuck on “high.” Signals that should be filtered out come flooding in. This makes light feel like a spotlight and sound feel like an alarm, even if nothing has changed in the environment.
This overstimulation may be due to inflammation in the brain, low neurotransmitter reserves (like GABA or serotonin), or dysfunction in nerves that process sensory information. It can appear during a migraine, after poor sleep, during hormonal shifts, or in people with long-term nervous system dysregulation.
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Bright light hurts your eyes or gives you a headache
Normal sounds feel sharp, loud, or emotionally overwhelming
You feel the need to hide in a dark or quiet space
Loud environments (crowds, parties) quickly exhaust you
Sensory input makes it hard to think or function
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Heat in the liver or head (traditional view of excess light/sound sensitivity)
Low GABA or serotonin levels (from stress or poor nutrition)
Migraines or hormonal fluctuations
Inflammation in the central nervous system
Overuse of stimulants (like caffeine, screen time, or emotional reactivity)
Post-viral or chronic illness flares
Adrenal exhaustion
Autonomic nervous system imbalance (vagal dysregulation)
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The following tissue states may represent underlying imbalances contributing to this symptom:
Heat/Excitation – inflamed, overactive nerve pathways
Wind/Tension – reactivity, sensory misfiring
Dry/Atrophy – low neurotransmitter reserves leading to fragile filtering
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Nervous system
Liver and hormonal axis
Sensory system (eyes, ears, cranial nerves)
Digestive system (gut-brain link in serotonin production)
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Migraine history and hormonal patterns
Nervous system regulation techniques (breathwork, sound therapy)
GABA- and serotonin-supportive foods or herbs
Liver cleansing and inflammation support
Screens, noise pollution, and overstimulation habits
Gut health, B vitamin intake, and adrenal balance
Do bright lights or artificial lighting (like fluorescents or screens) make you feel tired, irritable, or give you a headache? Do you often feel overwhelmed in noisy places, even when others seem fine? Do you naturally prefer dim lighting or quiet spaces and avoid overstimulating environments? Does sound ever feel physically uncomfortable or make your heart race, even when it’s not that loud? Do you notice your sensitivity getting worse when you haven’t slept well, had enough water, or eaten? Is your light or noise sensitivity more noticeable during hormonal changes, emotional stress, or screen overuse? Do you feel the need to retreat to dark or quiet places in order to calm down, reset, or feel like yourself again? If light or sound feels like too much lately, your body may be telling you it's time to slow down and rebalance your inner environment. Let’s explore your triggers and patterns so you can restore calm, resilience, and ease to your senses.
Disclaimer
Each person’s condition has a unique root cause, and lifestyle, diet and herbal remedies must be tailored to the individual. The information on this page is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized care. If you’d like support in understanding your specific situation, please reach out to me for guidance.
