Headaches & Eye Health

Have you been suffering from frequent headaches? As you may already know, this kind of pain can be due to many diseases and disorders that affect specific parts of your body, such as your ears, jaws, and sinuses. Some other conditions are also known to cause headaches. These include high blood pressure, arthritis, nerve diseases, tumors, and blood vessel diseases.

Eye Problems That Trigger Headaches

Eye diseases are the least common causes of headaches, but some eye health problems can have headaches as one of its symptoms. That’s why it might help to ask yourself when your last eye exam was. A routine eye exam can unveil various health issues that may be the culprit of the recurring pain you are experiencing. Here are some of the eye conditions that can cause headaches when untreated:

Eye Strain.

Like the muscles in your body, your eyes can also get tired when overused. Activities that need extended periods of close work and concentration can result in eye pain, headaches, and other symptoms. Reading, writing, sewing, and driving for too long are among the most common underlying causes of the discomfort. Working on an overly bright or dim light or staring at your computer or phone screen for extended periods could also be the reason why. Eye strain has also been linked to general vision problems. These include refractive errors, such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. Eye strain can also occur when both of your eyes are not correctly aligned.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma.

Angle-closure glaucoma is a severe eye condition caused by obstructed drainage canals in the eye. This blockage results in a sudden increase in eye pressure, thus causing severe headaches and eye pain. Other signs include eye redness, blurred vision, nausea, and vomiting. This condition is considered a medical emergency. Seek immediate help if you experience the symptoms mentioned above.

Retinal Migraine.

This eye condition is caused by the blood vessels to the eye suddenly narrowing or constricting, which reduces blood flow to the eye. Aside from headaches, retinal migraine also involves visual disturbances like a partial or total loss of vision in one eye that often lasts between 10 to 20 minutes. This temporary vision loss can be frightening, but it’s usually harmless and short-lived. In fact, it’s unusual for such an episode to last longer than one hour. Although uncommon, patients can also suffer from flashing lights, blind spots, and severe eye pain.

Other eye conditions have also been linked to headaches. These include refractive errors, such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness.

Has it already been more than a year since your last eye exam? Perhaps it’s a good idea to visit an eye doctor in College Station to see if your headaches are due to problems with your eye health. Visit us at Urban Optics in College Station, Texas, today! If you are already using corrective glasses, our team of highly trained eye doctors can check if you just need to update your prescription. We can also help determine if something else is causing the discomfort. Call us now at (979) 690-0888 to schedule your eye exam.