Headaches behind eyes, defined as an uncomfortable sensation felt around the back of the eye, are a common type of unpleasant sensation experienced by people all over the world. There may be various reasons why you may experience headache behind the eye, some reasons being benign and some being pathological.
Since some of the causes may be serious, it is important to seek treatment and understand how to prevent headaches behind eyes.
Understanding Headache Behind the Eyes
Headaches behind the eyes can be painful and occur with other symptoms. They can arise from various health issues.
Why Eye-Related Headaches Feel Different
Eye-related headaches feel different because their cause and symptoms are unique. You may feel pain along the top of your eye or in your eye socket.This type of pain can range from mild discomfort to severe throbbing pain.
Headache behind the eyes can affect one or both sides
Eye Strain vs Sinus Pressure — Spot the Difference
While eye strain and sinus pressure may manifest as a headache behind the eyes, there are a few differences that can help to distinguish between them.
Eye strain presents as discomfort in the head near the eye region, light sensitivity, dryness of eyes and blurred vision. The discomfort reduces after you take a break and let your eyes rest.
Sinus pressure feels like a headache behind or between your eyes. They can hurt other parts of your head and face. The pain stops once the sinus infection resolves.
Common Causes of Pain Behind the Eyes
Common causes of pain behind the eyes include eye strain due to screens, sinusitis/allergies, migraines and vision problems. Other less common causes are sleep deprivation, brain aneurysm, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis.
Eye Strain from Screens and Digital Devices:
Eye strain from screens and digital devices is a commonly increasing cause of pain behind the eyes. It happens when you overwork your eyes without taking any breaks, which can strain the muscles around the eyes. This can manifest as an uncomfortable sensation in the head near the eye region, light sensitivity, dryness of eyes and blurred vision. It can sometimes trigger a migraine or tension headache
Sinusitis and Allergies
Sinusitis and allergies manifest as an inflammation or infection of the sinuses. These lead to swelling up of the sinus leading to a pressure-like sensation. It can be due to viral or bacterial infection. This manifests as pain in the head, particularly behind the eyes and other parts of the face. It is often accompanied by tenderness of the face and nasal congestion
Migraine or Cluster Headaches
Migraines are a type of throbbing headache and are often associated with other symptoms like sensitivity to light, nausea, and visual disturbances.
Cluster headaches are intense headaches that tend to occur in clusters. This manifests as sudden bursts of pain around or behind one eye. You might also notice eye redness, drooping eyelids or sweat
Refractive Errors and Vision Problems
Common refractive or vision problems, such as farsightedness, nearsightedness or presbyopia (age-related farsightedness) can also cause pain behind the eyes.
Diagnosis and When to See an Eye Doctor
Headache behind the eyes can be due to minor issues. However, in some cases, it can be because of serious conditions. You should see an eye doctor for headache behind the eyes if you experience:
- Severe pain behind one or both eyes
- Sudden onset of pain around the eye region
- Redness or swelling of the eye(s)
- Sudden vision loss
- Double vision or blurriness of vision
Diagnosis of headache behind the eyes involves a process which includes medical history taking, physical examination, vision examination and advanced imaging techniques.
Eye Tests to Rule Out Vision Issues
Eyes undertaken by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist include the following:
- Refractive error testing: In this test, myopia (near sightedness) or hypermetropia (far sightedness) is identified using computerized estimations and reading eye charts.
- Colour vision testing: Colour vision tests identify defects in colour recognition which are caused by problems in the colour receptors of the eye. This is done using a specialized colour chart.
- Test for intraocular pressure: This test involves using an instrument called tonometer. First, numbing eye drops are put in the eye and then, the pressure within the eye is measured. This is used to identify glaucoma.
- Cataract/ cornea check-up: Cataract/ cornea tests use a slit-lamp microscope to light up the front part of the eye. This is used to identify cataracts or any scars or scratches on your cornea.
When a Neurologist Referral Is Needed
In case brain aneurysm or multiple sclerosis is suspected, a neurologist referral is required. For diagnosing these disorders, a neurologist employs various diagnostic tests as follows:
- For diagnosing brain aneurysms, CT or MRI angiography scans need to be done. These scans involve using a dye which is injected to visualise the location of the brain aneurysm with accuracy. It also helps to determine whether the aneurysm has ruptured
- Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, MRI scan and vision tests are performed. The MRI scan gives information about the location of plaques in the brain, particularly the plaques on the optic nerve (the nerve responsible for vision function). Vision tests help identify the optic neuritis (which is a symptom of multiple sclerosis) which shows positive signs of nystagmus and double vision.
Treatment and Prevention Tips
While headaches behind the eyes can be troublesome, there are various treatment options and prevention strategies to reduce the occurrence and severity of the headache behind the eyes.
Eye Exercises and Ergonomics
Taking care of eye health is an important aspect of treatment of headache behind the eyes due to screens. Simply resting your eyes can provide relief.
The 20-20-20 rule: this rule states that every 20 minutes of screen or digital device exposure, look 20 feet away and focus there for 20 seconds. Research studies have shown that following this can reduce the frequency of headache behind the yes due to screens.
Reduce screen time: If digital eye strain is causing the headache, reducing screen time and ensuring proper screen positioning can help. Lowering the brightness on your devices and using blue light filters to reduce strain on your eyes.
This helps you take a break from the screen and lets your eyes rest.
Hydration, Sleep, and Stress Management
Dehydration can trigger headaches, including those that cause pain behind the eye. Ensuring you drink enough water (at least 1.5 litres) throughout the day, can help reduce the occurrence of headache behind the eyes.
Since sleep deprivation may also cause headaches behind the eyes, it is essential to prioritise sleep. Increasing the duration and quality of sleep have been proved to reduce headache behind the eyes.
Stress also plays a role in the development of headache behind the eyes. Stress management in the form of meditation, laughter, exercise and yoga can help with headaches.
Medical Treatments and Eye Drops
The type of medical treatment for headache behind the eyes depends on various factors, including cause of the headache:
- Medications like ibuprofen, paracetamol, or aspirin can help reduce headache behind the eyes, in mild cases.
- For migraines/ cluster headaches, medications like triptans are commonly prescribed.
- For optic neuritis, corticosteroids are prescribed to reduce inflammation in the optic nerve.
- In cases of sinusitis, antibiotics or decongestants/ saline nasal sprays are given to reduce inflammation and relieve pressure.
- Eye drops: Certain pain-relieving eye drops are given which contain anti-inflammatory properties. These drops help reduce the pain related to eyes and provide lubrication for dry eyes.
- Surgery may be required if pain behind the eye is caused by severe sinus issues, glaucoma, or optic nerve compression
Conclusion — Taking Eye Pain Seriously
Headache behind the eyes is a common problem. While the cause might be mild (stress, eye strain due to screen, dehydration), it can sometimes be due to serious issues. It is essential to look out for the symptoms that indicate potential problems related to headache behind the eyes and to see medical attention.
Various medical treatments and prevention strategies are available to make management of headache behind the eyes more easy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There are several common causes such as eye strain due to screen use, migraines, vision issues, dehydration, lack of sleep, etc.
Yes, eyesight problems can cause pain behind the eyes. This is because eyesight problems place strain on the eye muscles which in turn causes pain.
Yes, eye strain can possibly be a sign of an underlying condition. These can be brain aneurysm or multiple sclerosis.
Headache from sinus issues present as a pressure-like sensation while headache from eye issues present as discomfort around the eye region and blurring of vision
You should see an ophthalmologist for a headache if it is accompanied by visual loss, double vision, blurring of vision and severe pain near the eye region.
