Information about headache behind eyes

HeadacheBehind the Eyes

Headache located behind the eyes is a fairly common occurrence and is usuallycaused by the corneas and the lenses in the eyes not workingcorrectly. When this happens, the images that enter the eyes cannotfocus onto the retinas, straining the muscles around the eyes,causing tension and fatigue. People mostly experience a headachebehind one eye, since it is less likely for both of the eyes' lensesto fail. Alternatively, the blood vessels and nerves around the eyescan be damaged and may cause pain in that way.

Anirregular sleeping pattern or stress can cause what are calledtension headaches, the most common type of headaches behind the eyes.However, there are a number of other possible causes for theseheadaches, as listed below.

Whenthe retina of an eye has an abnormal shape, it causes what is knownas an astigmatism. This condition causes things to look blurry whenviewed from a particular angle, making the person squint their eyesto try to see better. Squinting causes the muscles around the eye tostrain, which may lead to a tension headache.

Aspeople age, the lenses of their eyes tend to become less flexible,which affects how light enters the eyes. This is called presbyopiasand causes symptoms such as loss of focus, painful eyes andinevitably headaches.

Far-sightednessis a similar problem and can also cause tension headaches due to thestrain the eyes are under when the person tries to focus on nearbythings. Also named hyperopia, far-sightedness is when the image thatenters the eye is focused at a point behind the retina rather than onthe retina.

Migraineis a condition that can cause all kinds of headaches, includingtension headaches situated behind the eyes. Some migraines can causeheadaches that can continue for as little as a day or two or for aslong as a few months. Migraine of the retina intensely strains theeye muscles and may even result in partial or complete blindness.Sinusitis usually causes headaches and can lead to pain behind theeyes too.

Clusterheadaches can be very painful, including a burning feeling on theside of the nose. The pain will appear at different periods over timeand can lead to very intense, spiking pain behind the eyes. Whatcauses cluster headaches to appear is unknown, but luckily they aremuch less common than other types of headaches.

Treatment/Relief

Usually,tension headaches will go away over time. Massaging the base of theskull or the temples on the sides of the head can help relievetension in the muscles around the eyes. Prescription and over thecounter medications including ibuprofen or paracetamol can help easethe pain of these headaches.

Caringfor the eyes, getting plenty of rest and sleep and a balanced dietall help towards preventing tension headaches in the first place,always better than suffering the pain and trying to cure itafterwards.