According to WebMD, “over 45 million Americans suffer from chronic, recurring headaches and of these, 28 million suffer from migraines. About 20 percent of children and adolescents also experience significant headaches.” In fact, headaches are one of the most common pain conditions that people experience around the world. While there are many different types of headaches and many different causes, your eyes could be one of them. There are several types of headaches that can be caused due to eye conditions and diseases. Only an optometrist can diagnose if it’s your eyes causing your headaches so if you’re unable to find the cause of your headaches make an appointment. Here are four possible eye problems that can lead to headaches that you should be aware of.
Eyestrain
With the rise of computers, eyestrain has become more and more common among people who spend most of their day in front of a computer or other digital device. Individuals who only have slight vision problems may not typically notice eyestrain, however extended time at a computer or reading can cause headaches and blurred vision. This is especially typical among those with mild astigmatism or farsightedness. Your muscles have to try harder to focus on the objects near you which adds additional strain causing the headaches.
Tension Headaches
Headaches caused by muscle tightness are the most common type of headaches. Related to eyestrain, when your eyes struggle to focus on a regular basis it could be a cause of tension headaches. This muscle strain can cause mild to moderate pain over extended periods of time. Vis versa regular tension headaches due to stress or other factors can affect your vision, causing blurring and trouble focusing.
Ocular Migraines
This type of migraine is relatively rare, affecting only one out of two hundred people who have migraines. An ocular migraine is when a migraine causes short periods of vision loss or blindness that lasts for less than an hour in just one eye. There is no conclusive evidence as to what can cause ocular migraines and diagnosing them tends to be a lot of process of elimination. However, many health care professionals believe that an ocular migraine is caused by changes or spasms in the blood flow in the back of the eye.
Glaucoma
This condition is one in which individuals can lose their vision due to damage of the optic nerve. It’s believed that this damage is caused by a buildup in pressure in the eye. This is not in all cases as some people can get glaucoma with normal eye pressure. However, headaches can be a symptom for many people. Though glaucoma isn’t curable, there are many treatments that can slow the progression if caught early.
Not everyone experiences the same symptoms with ocular problems or headaches. Working with a general practitioner and optometrist in Fresno can help to identify what the cause of your headaches may be and if your eyes are a cause. Check with your local optometrist to see if your headaches are causing your vision problems or if it’s vision problems causing your headaches. You’ll be happy you did.