What Causes ‘Glare’ and Why Is It So Irritating?

Glare is when bright light hurts your eyes, making everything look blurry or too bright. It's like looking at a flashlight in the dark, it blinds you for a moment! When sunlight hits your eyes or car headlights flash at you, your brain gets confused and you squint to make sense of it all.

What Makes Glare Happen?

Glare happens when too much light enters your eye. Your eyes have special muscles that try to adjust, but sometimes they can't keep up with the brightness. That's why you squint, it helps block some of the extra light and makes things look clearer.

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Examples

  1. Looking at the sun on a cloudy day makes your eyes hurt and everything looks blurry.
  2. Driving at night with oncoming headlights feels like being blinded by a giant flashlight.
  3. Reading in front of a bright lamp makes words look washed out.

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