About headache behind the eyes
A headache behind the eyes is a common type of headache. It is characterized by a dull, throbbing, or agonizing pain in the area behind or around one or both eyes. There are various reasons that may lead to headache behind the eyes. The most common physiological reason for this type of headache is failure of the cornea and the lens of the eyes to function properly. This causes the retina not to properly focus the image that is formed by the eyes. A headache behind the eye then develops due to the extra pressure that is exerted on the muscles of the eye. Most people complain of either headache behind the right eye or headache behind the left eye, though these types of headaches can be double-sided. Apart from eyesight problems, a headache behind the eyes can also be caused by migraines, or problems with the blood vessels or nerves.
What Causes Headache Behind Eyes?
a) Abnormal blood flow in either the left or right side of the brain – A headache behind the left eye can be due to an abnormal blood flow in the left side of the brain, while an abnormal blood flow in the right side of the brain will lead to a headache behind the right eye. This abnormal blood flow causes dilation of blood vessels, and this causes extra pressure to be exerted on the trigeminal nerve. This pressure induces very severe cluster headaches that either occur at the same time each day or several times a day, with each occurrence lasting for the same amount of time. Cluster headaches usually linger for several weeks, disappear, then re-appear with the same intensity and frequency. They occur suddenly and strongly that causes excruciating pain on either the right or left side of the brain, behind the eye of the affected area. A related cause of this type of headache behind the eye is problems in the deep vascular channels that are located in the head.
b) Visual problems – A headache behind the eyes can be caused by some common visual problems such as myopia-incorrect focus, or incorrect contact lens or eyeglass prescriptions used to treat eye problems. Other visual problems that can cause this type of headache include:
· Long sightedness (Hyperopia): In this condition, an object’s image is focused behind the retina. This causes one to strain the eyes, especially when focusing on close objects. This strain causes the eye muscles to weaken, which may cause headaches accompanied with pain behind the eyes.
· Presbyopia: This is where the flexibility of the eye lenses is lost mainly due to aging. This causes difficulty in focusing on close objects. This may lead to headaches and sore eyes.
· Astigmatism: People with this condition have an irregular shaped retina. This causes hazy images of objects that are placed at a certain angle. Such people may squint in order to have a clearer view, thus straining the eye muscles, which may cause severe headaches.
· Glaucoma: In this case, increased pressure is exerted on the eyeballs, which may cause pain behind the eyes. The severity of this condition can lead to loss of sight or optic nerve damage. To prevent this, immediate medical attention is required either by surgery or prescription drugs.
c) Sinus headaches – When the frontal sinuses are infected, it may lead to a dull, throbbing pain either behind or between the eyes, which may extend to the front of the face. This condition usually worsens in the morning and may have other symptoms such as runny nose, frequent tearing, sore throat, sensitivity to light, fever, and congestion. These conditions exert pressure on the sinus cavity which may cause a headache behind the eyes. Causes of a sinus headache may be flu or cold, airborne allergies, or diving in dirty and swimming in dirty water.
d) Tension headaches – This is one of the most common causes of headaches behind the eyes. The headache is characterized by a throbbing pain that feels as if the forehead is being pulled by a tight band. Tension headaches can be caused by stress, excess eye strain, and insomnia.
Potential treatments for headache behind the eye
The first step towards treatment of this condition is to ascertain the cause of this form of headache. There are over-the-counter drug prescriptions that can be used to treat headaches behind the eyes. Simple manual therapy or rest can effectively treat tension headaches. Certain exercises can also bring about relief of this condition – lie flat on a firm surface. Locate the base of the skull using your thumbs. Press hard while leaning on your thumb. Stay in this position for as long as possible. Correction of visual problems can also bring relief to this condition. Exercises that strengthen eye muscles and improve vision can also help in dealing with this headache problem. For cluster headaches, the best option would be to seek medical advice. For sinusitis, inhale steam and take drug prescriptions for reducing inflammation. In case of recurrent headaches behind the eyes, seek medical advice to determine its cause and subsequent treatment.