Yes, fibromyalgia can cause sun sensitivity, often leading to photophobia (light sensitivity and pain), skin soreness, or rashes, due to general sensory overload, heightened pain perception (hyperalgesia), and sometimes associated conditions like migraines or dry eyes. Many people with fibromyalgia experience increased sensitivity to bright lights, including sunlight, which can worsen symptoms and lead to discomfort or pain, even without a tactile stimulus.
Is the sun good for fibromyalgia? Yes and no. Sunlight provides vitamin D, which may treat pain, inflammation, fatigue, poor sleep, and depression. 12 However, some people with fibromyalgia find they easily overheat and have more severe symptoms when it's hot.
3.1. Patients with fibromyalgia demonstrate profound photosensitivity.
Many people with fibromyalgia experience light sensitivity, which is also known as photophobia. This means that regular lighting can feel uncomfortable or even cause severe pain to your eyes. You might find yourself squinting or needing sunglasses even on cloudy days or indoors under bright lights, like fluorescents.
Patients with fibromyalgia may experience hypersensitivity to not only painful stimuli but also to sound and heat, which suggests that mechanisms of fibromyalgia augmentation are operant in both the spinal cord and in the brain, a study in The Journal of Pain suggests.
In general, a temperate climate is most beneficial for anyone with fibromyalgia. This would include areas with low humidity and infrequent rain. While no city is going to be perfect 365 days out of the year, it is possible to find areas that experience very few days of extreme weather conditions.
Unusual Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
TNX-102 SL (Tonmya; Tonix Pharmaceuticals), cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablets, has been approved by the FDA to treat fibromyalgia in adult patients, making it the first new treatment approved for the musculoskeletal and chronic pain disorder in over 15 years and the fourth treatment approved overall.
Possible triggers
Fibromyalgia is often triggered by an event that causes physical stress or emotional (psychological) stress. Possible triggers include: a serious injury, such as after a car accident. an infection, such as Epstein-Barr virus or Lyme disease.
Fibromyalgia involves a highly sensitive nervous system. Overactive nerve signals may create sensations of itching even when the skin looks normal. This is known as neural sensitization, where the body becomes more reactive to touch, temperature, or pressure.
Common Causes of Sudden Light Sensitivity
Eye Strain: Prolonged use of digital screens, such as computers, smartphones, or tablets, can lead to eye strain and increased light sensitivity. Dry Eyes: Insufficient tear production or poor tear quality can cause the eyes to become irritated and more sensitive to light.
Itching in fibromyalgia can vary in location and occurrence and type of sensation: Stinging sensation: You might feel a stinging or burning sensation, much like a harsh sunburn.
In one study, nearly a third of people with fibromyalgia also experienced hyperhidrosis. Lichen simplex chronicus: this condition features itchy rashes with thickened, leather-like skin, resulting from a continuous itch-scratch cycle. It is considered one of the more common skin issues for people with fibromyalgia.
Gentle movement exercises, such as tai chi or yoga, can help with fibromyalgia-related pain. If you're living with fibromyalgia, it's important to make time for self-care. It's a chronic (long-lasting) condition that causes muscle pain and tenderness all over the body.
Symptoms often start after a triggering event. Triggers can include injuries, surgery, infections or emotional stress. Or the symptoms can build up over time, with no single event to trigger them. Women are more likely to get fibromyalgia than are men.
There are 18 tender points that exists as nine symmetrical pairs (left and right), located at the:
It's also suggested that some people are more likely to develop fibromyalgia because of genes inherited from their parents. In many cases, the condition appears to be triggered by things that are physical or emotional like an injury, an infection or stress.
Treatment options have historically been limited, and many patients report inadequate relief. On August 15, 2025, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new treatment: Tonmya (cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablets), marking the first new FDA-approved drug for fibromyalgia in more than 15 years.
As many as 80% of people with fibromyalgia report issues with brain fog. The feelings of forgetfulness, poor focus, inability to follow conversations, and spaciness are sometimes called fibro fog.
There are no gold-standard treatments for fibromyalgia. Treatment is focused on symptom management. A multidisciplinary approach and individualized treatment plan that incorporates a combination of interventions can help improve outcomes.
Fibromyalgia can cause teeth grinding
And that can wear down tooth enamel, cause further decay and even break teeth leading to awful pain.
Top Vitamins for Fibromyalgia Relief: A Guide to Managing...
Several rheumatic diseases can mimic fibromyalgia. These include sero-negative rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Lyme disease, polymyalgia rheumatica and lupus. They have symptoms of widespread pain along with joint involvement.
Comfort-oriented gifts like weighted blankets, ergonomic pillows, and heated slippers are popular choices that provide immediate relief and relaxation. Therapeutic tools such as TENS units, handheld massagers, and heat/cold therapy devices offer effective at-home pain management solutions.
Each person's symptoms may vary. But chronic pain is the most common symptom. The pain most often affects the muscles and the points where muscles attach to bones. These are the ligaments and tendons.