Chronic Headaches May Be Related to Your Eye Health

The American Headache Society understands how debilitating chronic headaches can be. The sharp, throbbing, or dull pain varies with its cause. Headaches differ in location and severity. Studies show that this pain has a strong connection with your eye health. Here are the details that you must consider to understand this association.

Chronic Headaches That Cause Vision Changes

Some headaches can cause vision changes like blurry vision. Cluster headaches and migraines are the common culprits. Many people suffer from these debilitating conditions. Here are their differences:
 

• Cluster headaches are intense headaches that happen in clusters. The pain often occurs around the eyes and then spreads to the neck and shoulder. Red eyes, tearing, and eyelid droop are other symptoms of cluster headaches. You can also experience pupil changes and nasal discharge with the pain. Having these headaches can happen for months, followed by a headache-free period.
   

• Migraine headaches cause severe pain around and in your eyes. There is often an aura that occurs before the ache. This lasts for about 20 minutes. Then, you will start to see a flashing, rainbow, and a zigzag of lights. Your vision begins to blur. Light sensitivity may also happen. Some severe attacks can come with nausea, skin numbness, and vomiting.

Vision Problems That Cause Chronic Headaches

In some situations, your vision problems can cause chronic headaches. This can happen when you overwork your eyes. Correcting your vision issue may resolve your pain. Below are some vision issues that trigger chronic headaches:
 

• Eyestrain happens when you overuse your eye muscles. Your eyes tend to work extra hard to focus when eyestrain kicks in. The blurry vision results in eye pain. The pain then produces headaches behind the eyes. People who use digital or electronic devices for hours every day tend to experience eyestrain.
   

• Presbyopia often happens around 40 years of age. This eye problem makes it challenging to focus on objects near you.
   

• Hypermetropia or farsightedness can cause a frontal headache or brow ache. If you have this eye condition, you find it difficult to focus on something near you. This often results in eyestrain, which then produces head pain. The harder your eyes focus, the more intense the chronic headaches become.
   

• Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a rare glaucoma variant. It causes sudden headaches. The intraocular pressure in this eye condition rises right away. This results in eye redness and pain. Your vision then becomes cloudy and blurry. Eye pain sets in. Your pupil will have an incomplete widening as well.

The mentioned situations show that chronic headaches may truly have a connection with your eye health. At The Dizziness and Headache Optometry Center, we work hard with our patients to determine the root cause of their headaches or dizziness.


If you or someone you know suffers from any of these symptoms, get relief now and take our Free 5 Minute Self Test to find out if you have BVD Here.