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Eye Strain Headache: Causes & Symptoms

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Eye Strain Headache
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Eye Strain Headache

If you have an eye strain headache, it doesn't mean your eyes are damaged. Eye strain does not injure the eye or cause permanent damage, and your headache and other symptoms should ease or go away once you rest your eyes.

Still, eye strain headaches can be frustrating. They can make it hard to focus on work, school or other tasks. Long periods of screen time, reading or driving can all trigger eye strain.

Eye strain can be irritating. Sometimes its symptoms point to an eye problem that needs treatment, such as an outdated glasses prescription. The causes of different headaches are hard to pin down, but headaches and eye problems are linked: migraine and cluster headaches often cause eye symptoms, and eye strain can trigger some headaches.

Many activities can strain the eyes. People who work at a screen for long periods are at risk. So are long hours of reading or driving, air from a fan or vent blowing in your face, wearing the wrong glasses prescription, and working in light that is too dim or too bright.

Causes & Symptoms of Eye Strain Headache

Eye strain signs and symptoms include:

  • Sore, tired, burning or itching eyes
  • Watery or dry eyes
  • Blurred or double vision
  • Headache
  • Sore neck, shoulders or back
  • Increased sensitivity to light
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Feeling that you can't keep your eyes open

Eye strain can happen when you focus on one task, such as using a computer, for a long time. It can also happen when your eyes work to focus in light that is too bright or too dim. In short, eye strain means your eyes are tired from overuse, and it is one of many possible causes of headaches.

However, eye strain is often blamed for headaches that have other causes. Some people have headaches they attribute to eye strain when the real cause is a headache disorder such as migraine.

Eye problems that can cause headache or eye pain include:

  • Injury to the cornea.
  • Degenerative diseases of the cornea.
  • Eye infection.
  • Dry eyes.
  • Eye inflammation.
  • A tumor behind the eye (rare).
  • An acute attack of angle-closure glaucoma.
  • Optic nerve conditions.
  • Giant cell arteritis (transient arteritis%20and%20constricted%20(narrowed).)).
  • Ocular ischemic syndrome.
  • Uncorrected astigmatism or farsightedness.

Most people with headaches don't have an eye condition causing them. Most headaches come from a primary headache disorder, such as migraine or tension-type headache. If an eye condition is suspected, see an eye doctor (ophthalmologist).

Get emergency care for a red, painful eye with blurred vision, halos, headache and nausea, which can be signs of acute angle-closure glaucoma. Sudden vision loss or a new headache with scalp tenderness or jaw pain in someone over 50 also needs urgent care.

Kinds of primary headache:

Several primary headache types have clear links to eye symptoms.

• Migraine:

Migraine often comes with visual disturbances (aura), strong sensitivity to light, and pain behind the eyes. Bright or flickering lights can be a trigger for some people.

• Cluster:

This is a severe, recurring type of headache. Cluster headaches cause intense burning or piercing pain behind or around one eye. They can also cause a watery eye, a swollen or drooping eyelid, and a runny or stuffy nose on the same side.

• Tension:

Tension-type headache is one of the most common kinds of headache. It can cause a feeling of pressure or tightness around the head and forehead. Eye strain is one possible trigger.

Relationship between Eye Strain and Headache

When you look at things up close, such as screens, the muscles in and around your eyes work harder to focus. Over time, these muscles can get tired, like any other muscle in your body.

Squinting for a long time can also tighten the muscles of your face and forehead. That tension can lead to eye strain headaches.

Preventions

Eye strain doesn't have serious or long-term effects, but it can be uncomfortable. It can make you tired and reduce your ability to focus. Here are some ways to prevent it:

• Follow the 20-20-20 rule.

Take regular breaks while using digital screens. Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

• Blink frequently.

Dry eyes can worsen eye strain symptoms. People blink much less often while using screens, so make an effort to blink. You can also use artificial tears to help prevent dry eyes. Blinking frequently doesn't mean Excessive Eye Blinking, which can have other causes.

• Avoid using screens in the dark.

Your eyes work harder when a bright screen sits in a dark room. Keep your screen's brightness similar to the light in the room.

• Adjust your screen.

Place your screen about an arm's length away, roughly 20 to 26 inches from your eyes. Position it slightly below eye level so you look slightly down. Don't place it too far below eye level, though, because that can strain your neck.

• Use proper lighting.

Point lamps and other indoor light sources away from your eyes. To reduce screen glare, avoid having bright windows or lights directly behind or in front of your screen, and consider a matte screen filter.

• Avoid wearing contact lenses too long

Wearing contact lenses for too long can irritate and strain your eyes. Follow your eye doctor's advice on wearing time, and give your eyes a break with glasses.

Sources

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