Kadrmas Eye Care New England
  • Doctors
    • Eddie Kadrmas, MD
    • Richard Strecker, MD
    • Daniel J. Townsend, MD
    • Aimee Gray, OD
    • Ashley Sousa, OD
  • Patients
    • CV-19 Statement
    • Eye Conditions >
      • Cataracts
      • Common Eye Problems >
        • Allergies
        • Amblyopia
        • Astigmatism
        • Blepharitis
        • Chalazion / Stye
        • Conjunctivitis
        • Corneal Abrasion
        • Floaters & Flashes
        • Hyperopia / Farsightedness
        • Myopia / Nearsightedness
        • Presbyopia
        • Strabismus
      • Corneal Diseases & Disorders >
        • Corneal Ulcers
        • Fuchs’ Dystrophy
        • Herpes Zoster / Shingles
        • Keratitis
        • Keratoconus
        • Pterygium
      • Diabetic Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye Syndrome
      • Eyelid Diseases & Disorders >
        • Dermatochalasis
        • Ectropion
        • Entropion
        • Eyelid Lesion
        • Ptosis
        • Tear Duct Obstruction
        • Tumor
      • Eye Trauma / Injury >
        • Blunt Trauma
        • Chemical Injury
        • Penetrating / Perforating Injury
      • Glaucoma >
        • Open Angle Glaucoma >
          • iStent
        • Narrow Angle Glaucoma
        • Neovascular Glaucoma
        • Inflammatory Glaucoma
      • Macular Diseases & Disorders >
        • Macular Degeneration
        • Macular Hole
        • Macular Pucker
      • Neurological Eye Diseases >
        • Blepharospasm
        • Double Vision
        • Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
        • Stroke / Visual Field Defect
        • Temporal Arteritis
      • Retinal Diseases & Disorders >
        • Retinal Tears & Detachments
        • Retinal Vascular Diseases
      • Uveitis & Iritis
    • Resources >
      • Eye Health & Care Blog
      • Retina Digest
    • Videos >
      • Eye Anatomy
      • Cataract
      • Laser Cataract Surgery
      • Children's Vision
      • Common Eye Problems
      • Corneal Conditions
      • Diabetic Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye Syndrome
      • Glaucoma
      • Laser & Refractive Eye Surgery
      • LASIK Over 45
      • LASIK Under 45
      • Macular Degeneration
      • Plastic Eye Surgery
      • Retinal Conditions
      • Refractive Errors
      • Routine Eye Exams
    • Forms & Policies >
      • New Patient Forms
      • HIPAA Policy
      • Referral Forms
    • Financial Information
  • Services
    • Routine Eye Exams >
      • Children
      • Adults
    • Hearing Therapy
    • Specialized Eye Exams >
      • Dilated Eye Exam / Slit Lamp Examination
      • Fluorescein Angiogram
      • Indocyanine Green Angiogram
      • Nerve Fiber Analysis
      • Optical Coherence Tomography
      • Refraction
      • Tonometry
      • Visual Acuity Testing
      • Visual Field Testing
    • Medical, Injection & Surgical / Laser Eye Care
    • Contact Lenses >
      • Contact Lens Types
      • Contact Lens Care & Safety
    • Refractive Eye Surgery >
      • LASIK Eye Surgery
      • PRK
      • Clear Lens Extraction
      • Implantable Collamer Lenses
    • Oculoplastic Surgery & Cosmetic Procedures >
      • Blepharoplasty
      • BOTOX®
      • Restylane®
  • Locations
    • Plymouth
    • Wareham
    • Mashpee
    • Surgery Centers
  • About
    • News
    • Affiliations
    • Patient Reviews
  • Careers
  • Contact
To Schedule Your Eye Appointment, Please Call 1-508-746-8600

Patient Resources - Eye Health & Care Blog

The Link Between Eye Problems and Headaches

6/1/2020

 
Picture
Headaches are one of the most common complaints for adults and children. The severity and frequency of headaches varies from occasionally to almost daily. For some people, headaches can be debilitating and lead to a decreased quality of life.

Headaches have a variety of causes, including eye problems. June is National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month. It is the perfect time to encourage people with chronic headaches to seek help. 
​

Types of headaches 

Various types of headaches can occur, including:
  • Migraines: Migraines are a chronic type of headache that has various triggers, such as hormones, certain foods, and sleep problems.
  • Tension: Tension headaches can develop from tight muscles in the neck, face, and shoulders.
  • Cluster: Cluster headaches can involve intense pain often in one side of the head that comes in a cyclical pattern. They may occur every day for a few weeks. The intense pain may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.
  • Sinus: Sinus headaches can develop due to a sinus infection or sinus congestion.
Headaches can also develop from overtaking certain types of medications, dehydration, and eye problems. Continue reading below to learn more about how eye issues are associated with headaches.  

Eye strain 

One of the most frequent causes of headaches associated with eye issues is eye strain. Overusing the muscles involved in vision focus can lead to eye strain and, subsequently, headaches. Any type of activity that causes you to focus your eyes for extended periods of time can lead to eye strain.

A common cause of eye strain is staring at a computer or phone screen for too long. If you spend a lot of time looking at a screen, it is helpful to take regular breaks every hour or two.  
Typical symptoms of eye strain include:
  • Blurred vision
  • Watery eyes
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Headaches 
​

Ocular migraines

Ocular migraines cause visual disturbances, which may occur with or without head pain. It is not clear why some people develop ocular migraines, but there appears to be a genetic link, which means if you have a family member, such as a parent with the condition, you are at an increased risk.

Symptoms of ocular migraines include:
  • See flashing lights
  • Blind spots in your field of vision
  • Severe eye pain
  • Headaches 
​

​Astigmatism

Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is not shaped properly. It can interfere with proper vision and may cause squinting to help focus vision. If left untreated, it can also lead to headaches.

Symptoms of astigmatism may include:
  • Eye irritation
  • Problems seeing at night
  • Distorted vision 
​

Glaucoma

According to the National Headache Foundation, headaches due to glaucoma are most commonly felt around the eyes or forehead. One type of glaucoma occurs when the pressure builds up in the eye due to an accumulation of fluid. The increased pressure causes damage to the optic nerve and can lead to vision loss over time.

In the early stages of glaucoma, most people may not have symptoms. But when symptoms do develop, they may include:
  • Blurred vision
  • Seeing halos
  • Eye pain
  • Headaches
​

Cataracts

Cataracts occur when the lens in the eye becomes clouded. It occurs most often due to aging. As cataracts develop, it may make the eye work harder to see. As your eye works harder, it leads to eye strain and possibly headaches.

Symptoms of cataracts include: 
  • Sensitivity to glare
  • Fading of colors
  • Blurred vision
  • Headaches

If you have frequent headaches, it is useful to have an eye exam, especially if it has been a year or two since your last exam. Even if you assume headaches have a specific cause, eye problems, such as eye strain, can also contribute to existing headaches. It is also vital to treat underlying eye conditions as early as possible to reduce the risk of further headaches.
​
We are happy to answer any questions or to discuss whether an appointment with one of our eye doctors would be appropriate at this time. Please call our office at 508-746-8600.
 

Comments are closed.

    EYE HEALTH BLOG


    CLICK HERE to sign up for our eye health / care newsletter and have it delivered automatically to your inbox each month!

    Categories

    All
    AMD
    Astigmatism
    Cataract
    Children's Eye Health
    Color Blindness
    Conjunctivitis
    Contact Lens
    Cornea
    Cosmetic Eye Surgery
    Covid 19
    Diabetic Eye Disease
    Driving
    Dry Eyes
    Eye Allergies
    Eye Cancer
    Eye Exam
    Eye Health & Safety
    Eye Infections
    Eye Strain
    Glaucoma
    Injuries
    Low Vision
    Lupus
    Macula
    Myasthenia Gravis
    Organ Donation
    Retina
    Retinopathy
    Scleritis
    Senior Eye Health
    Sports
    Stroke
    Stye
    Uvea
    Vision Correction
    Vision Loss
    Women's Eye Health

    RSS Feed


    Picture

Kadrmas Eye Care New England

55 Commerce Way, Plymouth, MA 02360
14 Tobey Road, Wareham, MA 02571
133 Falmouth Road (Rt 28), Mashpee, MA 02649
Phone Number:
​1-508-746-8600

Hours:
Monday through Friday - 
8 AM - 4:30 PM 
© 2015-2021 Kadrmas Eye Care New England • All Rights Reserved
KadrmasEyeCare.com Privacy Policy • Disclaimer of Medical Liability
Proudly powered by Weebly
Design by DivTag Templates