हिंदी में पढ़ें: आँखों के पीछे होने वाला सिरदर्द के कारणों के बारे में जानें
A headache behind your eyes can result from a variety of reasons, ranging from eye strain to neurological disturbances, vascular dysfunction, and inflammatory conditions. The same localised pain can stem from different causes in different people. Some serious causes include refractive errors, glaucoma, and increased eye pressure.
The pain can feel like a throbbing sensation, a sharp ache, or persistent pressure. The pain can also be accompanied by other symptoms like light sensitivity, unclear vision, or excessively watery eyes.
Knowing the exact cause of your headache is crucial to getting the right treatment. Every headache behind the eyes requires a unique approach, something that tackles the root cause of the pain.
In this blog, we are going to go through some common types of headaches behind the eyes, their causes, and potential treatment or management strategies.
1. Eye Strain
If you spend long hours in front of a screen, your eyes are bound to get tired. This exhaustion often results in eye strain – a localised discomfort which induces fatigue in the eye muscles.
Some common symptoms are: a dull pain behind the eyes, blurred vision (at times), and a feeling of heaviness. The uneasiness can last a few hours and even recur regularly if corrective intervention is not sought.
Excessive digital screen use, long hours of studying/reading, or intricate close-up tasks carried out without visual rest in between, can lead to eye strain. Improper lighting and angles can also contribute to the overload of eye muscles.
Treatment for eye strain generally includes simple practices like following the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds), eating a well-balanced diet, lubricating your eyes (with prescribed eye drops), taking regular breaks from visually demanding tasks in intervals, working in well-lit conditions, and preferably switching on the ‘eye comfort’ mode on your digital devices. Small changes like these can make a big difference.
2. Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry Eye Syndrome is an eye condition characterised by rapid tear film evaporation or inadequate tear production.
Some common symptoms include burning or stinging sensations, blurred vision, a gritty sensation, a sensation of a foreign object lodged inside the eye, or dull pain. Headaches that come with dry eyes are usually mild to moderate in intensity. These can persist for a whole day, especially if you’re engaging in visually taxing activities.
Environmental stressors, such as air conditioning, heated rooms, digital device use, exposure to dry air or wind, etc., play a role in the development of the condition. Apart from that, a low blink frequency, genetics, and hormonal changes (during menopause or otherwise) also have an impact on the quality of the tear film.
Dry eye management includes the use of artificial tears or lubricants (eye drops) to restore the aqueous layer. For frequent users, preservative-free formulations are recommended. Other treatment measures include lipiflow therapy, intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy, punctal plugs, etc.
3. Refractive Errors
A refractive error is an eye condition that does not allow light entering the eye to focus properly on the retina, thus resulting in unclear vision. Different types of refractive errors include myopia (nearsightedness), astigmatism (cylindrical power), hyperopia (farsightedness), and presbyopia (age-related farsightedness). If not managed with corrective measures, refractive errors can cause retro-orbital headaches.
Common signs include constant discomfort or pressure behind the eyes, visual fatigue, and the inability to clearly see objects at a specific distance. The symptoms and the subsequent headache subsides with effective management through corrective glasses, vision therapy, contact lenses, pharmacological drops, orthokeratology, and vision correction surgery (LASIK/Laser).
4. Glaucoma or High Eye Pressure or IOP
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases caused by increased intraocular pressure (IOP). High IOP can damage the optic nerve, causing pain behind the eyes.
There are not many obvious symptoms in glaucoma until the condition has progressed substantially, but some warning signs include eye pain, peripheral vision loss, and a sensation of heaviness in the eyes.
Treatment includes prescribed eye drops, oral treatment, laser treatment, trabeculectomy, etc.
5. Migraine
Migraine is a neurological condition that results in recurring headaches (typically only on one side of the head). These headaches can last from 4 to 72 hours.
A migraine headache typically begins as a throbbing ache and gradually radiates to the forehead and behind the eyes. Migraines can be accompanied by auras (visual, sensory, and other neurological disturbances), etc.
Common modes of treatment include medication, therapy, and lifestyle modifications.
Some other eye conditions & neurological conditions, such as trigeminal neuralgia and cluster headaches, can also lead to pain behind the eyes. If you or anyone you know has been experiencing persistent headaches behind the eyes, consult an ophthalmologist at the earliest.
Sohana Hospital has a team of the best eye doctors, that specialises in effectively treating different eye conditions. If the underlying cause of your headache is an eye condition, get advanced diagnostics and modern treatment facilities at affordable prices.
Pain behind the eyes? Get in touch with Sohana Hospital today!
