What Causes Headaches Behind the Eyes?
Pain in or around the eyes can be unsettling. Common symptoms of headaches that involve the eyes include pain in the head, light sensitivity, eye discomfort, and auras. Understanding what causes headaches behind the eyes can help soothe your nerves. It can also help you identify the culprit and seek out the appropriate treatment.
Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. They’re typically described as a feeling of pressure or squeezing in the forehead. Pain behind the eyes is another common symptom. Other complaints include scalp pain, neck pain, and a sensitivity to light.
Tension headaches can be either episodic or chronic. If you experience 15 or more tension headaches a month for three months, then you’ll be diagnosed with chronic tension headaches.
Sinus Headaches
The sinuses are cavities in the eyes, cheeks, and forehead. When these spaces become overrun with mucus or infected, the pressure can cause pain. Headaches, toothaches, and earaches are all common reactions to sinus troubles.
However, sinus headaches may be overreported. Verywell Health notes that studies have reported people who had either been diagnosed or self-diagnosed with sinus headaches have established that some 80 percent were actually experiencing migraine or tension headaches.
Migraines
Migraines can be incredibly disabling, much more than just a headache. Typically lasting between 4 and 72 hours without treatment, the primary symptom is often a throbbing pain on one side of the head. Other symptoms can include:
- Eye pain, impaired vision, and sensitivity to light
- Flashing or bright lights or other forms of aura
- Sensitivity to noises
- Sensitivity to smells
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Exhaustion, muscle weakness, or numbness
- Confusion or mood changes
Cluster Headaches
As Mayo Clinic explains, cluster headaches are rare. These headaches strike with intense pain in a brief bout of hurt that is focused behind one eye or on one side of the head. Other symptoms include swollen, drooping eyelids, nasal congestion, red, watery eyes, and agitation. Cluster headaches often wake you during the night. The worst of the pain hits in 15 minutes or so. However, the entire attack often lasts between one and three hours.
Sadly, these brutal headaches will strike for a while, plaguing sufferers periodically every few days or even several times a day. Then, they’ll abruptly go into remission for months or years.
Treatments and Triggers
The best treatment depends on various factors, including the type of headache and your unique health condition. However, identifying and avoiding your headache triggers is often a universal way to reduce painful headaches. Experimentation can help you discover which triggers are problematic for you. Common triggers include:
- Eye strain
- Stress
- Dehydration
- Perfumes and other scents
- Foods that contain caffeine, nitrates, or other compounds
- Weather fronts and changes
- Tooth grinding
- Sleep issues
Are your eyes feeling tired, gritty, or strained? Does screen time make up a big part of your day? Are headaches that lurk behind your eyes making you miserable? Scheduling an eye exam with the eye experts at Heffington’s is an excellent way to verify the health of your eyes and the accuracy of your current optical prescription. Since 1975, the Heffington family has been assisting the Springfield community with top-quality eye care and affordable eyeglasses and contacts. One of the unique features of our family-owned business is that we manufacture lenses at our own laboratory, giving us total control over the service and pricing, and we’re happy to pass our savings on to you. To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch with us online, send an e-mail to asktheexperts@heffingtons.com, or give us a call at 417-869-3937 (Optiland location) or 417-882-3937 (House of Vision location). We look forward to hearing from you!