Headaches are a common condition, and relief may come through lifestyle adjustments and over-the-counter pain relievers. But if your headaches cause vision changes or persistent throbbing sensations, this could indicate more serious health concerns.

Pain in the eyes could be an indicator of glaucoma, an eye disease characterized by increased internal eye pressure that causes blurry vision, redness of the eyeballs and colored halos around lights.

Eyestrain

Eye strain is a frequent cause of headaches for people who spend long hours staring at digital screens (computer, tablet, e-reader or cell phone). Also referred to as Computer Vision Syndrome, eyestrain causes discomfort and vision problems caused by prolonged use of these devices; symptoms include headaches, dry or itchy eyes, blurred vision and neck/shoulder pain.

if you experience these symptoms, it is crucial that you visit an ophthalmologist immediately. They can perform a comprehensive eye exam and prescribe glasses or contact lenses specifically tailored to alleviate symptoms of eyestrain; additionally they may suggest special lenses in your glasses to reduce glare exposure or blue light exposure.

Other causes of ocular pain in the occipital region may include neovascular glaucoma, intermittent angle-closure glaucoma and low-grade intraocular inflammation. While these conditions typically do not present with redness or other symptoms in their eyes, they can often be identified through history and physical examination as well as testing such as slit lamp biomicroscopy, visual field testing or spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

If you are experiencing headaches and suspect they could be linked to your eyes, call Eden Prairie Eye Care now to make an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam with Dr. Oker. It could simply require updated prescriptions or special lenses for more comfort, or it could indicate higher blood pressure – we are more than happy to evaluate and diagnose your symptoms so you can start the journey back toward better health! We look forward to helping!

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a devastating eye condition that damages the optic nerve, which sends visual information directly from eyes to brain. It is one of the leading causes of blindness globally and often associated with elevated pressure due to fluid buildup inside eyes. Most forms of glaucoma develop slowly over time but in rare instances sudden symptoms appear such as blurry vision, halos around lights or intense eye pain accompanied by nausea or vomiting.

Glaucoma may not directly cause headaches; however, its increased pressure can put strain on surrounding tissues – including blood vessels and nerves in the head and neck – which in turn results in tension-type headaches on one side of the head, often near temples or forehead. For this reason it’s vital for those living with glaucoma to see an ophthalmologist even when no symptoms or complaints exist so their specialist can monitor and treat their eyes appropriately.

Most cases of glaucoma progress slowly through open-angle glaucoma, wherein eye drainage areas become blocked and not enough fluid drains out of them. This form usually is painless and only becomes noticeable over time; other forms, known as angle closure or closed-angle glaucoma can occur much quicker, leading to rapid increases in eye pressure that cause rapid vision loss as well as headaches immediately.

Dependent upon their type of glaucoma, patients may require medications to lower their eye pressure. This typically includes both prescription eye drops and orally administered medicines that must be adjusted by an ophthalmologist as their eye pressure changes; those taking such drugs should ensure they keep an ample supply on hand and make appointments regularly with their healthcare provider to have their prescription refilled.

One of the more frequent tests your eye care professional performs during an eye exam is called tonometry, which is an easy and painless test that measures intraocular pressure (IOP). To complete it quickly and painlessly takes only seconds.

Allergies

Your eyes could be the source of a mysterious headache. Many eye conditions have no obvious symptoms and instead present as headaches that you cannot identify the source for, making eye exams with trained professionals even more essential for diagnosing hidden issues, like angle-closure glaucoma or astigmatism (the difference in shape of each of your eyes; most have round sphere-shaped pupils; while some people may have astigmatism causing vision irregularities).

Allergies are inappropriate or exaggerated immune reactions to normally harmless substances like food, medicine or pollen that lead to various symptoms including swelling of eyes and skin, itching, dripping nose, light-headedness and stomach cramps. Severe allergic reactions require immediate medical attention from either a doctor or hospital if severe reactions develop – those who have had migraine headaches with features associated with migraine headache have been found at increased risk for normal-tension glaucoma after controlling for other factors.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure (hypertension), or hypertension, occurs when the force with which your heart pumps blood is consistently higher than it should be, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other serious health complications. Unfortunately, it often does not manifest with noticeable symptoms; diagnosis usually only comes when reaching dangerously high levels or experiencing other health issues. Medication will likely be prescribed; but managing it by following a healthy diet and exercising regularly should also help.

Long thought to be linked, headaches and high blood pressure were once considered interdependent; however, a recent study published in Neurology has disproved this myth by finding that headaches do not correlate with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings; instead stiffer arteries affect homeostatic processes that regulate the pressure while simultaneously decreasing pain sensitivity.

Over time, fatty deposits and calcium can accumulate in the walls of our arteries, narrowing and stiffening them so blood cannot flow as freely – leading to symptoms associated with high blood pressure such as shortness of breath, pounding headaches and vision issues.

Hypertension can lead to stroke if one of the arteries that transport oxygen-rich blood to the brain clogs or bursts, depriving oxygen from reaching it and potentially leading to loss of consciousness or death. For this reason, it’s essential that both your systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure stay below 140 and 90, respectively.

As part of an annual physical, it is also recommended to have your blood pressure measured and checked. By being aware of any changes to your health and checking whether your blood pressure has increased too rapidly, early intervention can prevent further complications from developing. If headaches or hypertension appear, make an appointment immediately with healthcare professional.