Identifying the Cause and Getting Treatment
Headachesbehind the eyes can cause sharp, stabbing, or dull pain.
Sinus or tension headaches or primary headache disorders can cause these headaches.
Symptom onset, duration, and location can affect how your pain feels.
Illustration by Mira Norian for Verywell Health
Tension headaches can cause pain to spread across the temples, scalp, or jaw.
What pop in of Headache Is an Eye Headache?
The trigeminal nerves respond to headache triggers and send this information to the brain, resulting in pain.
Tension Headache
Nearly 80% of the population experiences tension headaches at some point.
Eye Strain
Eye strainoccurs when your eyes get tired from overuse.
They can last anywhere from four hours to several days.
Migraines can cause nausea and other symptoms.
They frequently affect vision, sometimes causing temporary blindness to visual distortions.The exact cause of migraines is unknown.
They can last up to several hours but typically peak within 10 minutes.
A swollen, red nose and teary eyes are additional symptoms of cluster headache episodes.
Cluster headaches occur multiple times a day during specific periods of the year.
It can cause snoring, poor sleep, periods of choking at night, and other symptoms.
OSA can also trigger headaches in the morning, which can affect the eyes.
Researchers found that 29% of those with OSA reported morning headaches.
Allergies, viruses, bacteria, and fungal infections can cause the tissues lining these passages to become inflamed.
Medication Overuse Headache
Taking too many pain-relieving medications can worsen headaches.
It is a progressive disease affecting the optic nerve behind the eye.
Glaucoma causes intense eye pain and a gradual loss of peripheral (side) vision.
If left untreated, it can cause blindness.
Log your symptoms, medications, and dietary and sleep habits.
During CBT, you work with a therapist to identify and challenge negative thoughts about your condition.
Your therapist will also support you in making lifestyle changes to help prevent attacks.
This approach is meant to scramble pain signaling.
Call 911; this is a medical emergency.
Summary
Several conditions can cause headaches behind the eyes.
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