Your Vision Could Be Responsible for Your Chronic Headaches

It’s perfectly normal to experience a minor headache every now and then. Stress, squinting into the sun, and exhaustion can all lead to temporary headaches. Chronic headaches, however, are a different matter entirely. If it is common for you to suffer from headache and migraine pain, your vision could be the culprit behind your discomfort.

Why Might Vision Problems Cause Headaches?

All parts of your body are interconnected, especially your eyes and your head. If you haven’t visited the eye doctor recently or have neglected basic eye care, you could have an eye condition that is leading to your headaches. Vision-related headaches occur in many forms, including as dull pressure behind the eyes, throbbing in the temples, and a light pounding at the top of the head.  

Astigmatism, for instance, occurs when the cornea is not shaped properly and prevents light from being focused effectively on the retina. Most people with astigmatism must squint in order to focus their vision on a specific word or object. Over time, untreated astigmatism causes constant squinting, which in turn puts tension on the eye muscles, which then forms headache symptoms.

Farsightedness, also known as hyperopia, is another common vision problem that causes headaches to develop. If you are farsighted, it requires extra effort and straining to see clearly, which again places too much strain on the eye muscles and causes headaches to form in the skull.

Other more serious eye conditions known to cause headaches include glaucoma and cataracts. Glaucoma occurs when the eye cannot drain fluid properly and pressure gradually builds inside of the eye. This pressure places the optic nerve at risk of being damaged. Cataracts, on the other hand, can be identified as a clouding of the eye’s lens that makes clear, crisp vision very difficult.

Resolving Your Headaches

The good news is that every eye condition listed above has some time of treatment or remedy available upon diagnosis. Glasses, contacts, cataract surgery, and medications can all help to minimize your headaches by resolving your vision problems. The Eye Clinic of Florida in Zephyrhills, Florida offers eye exams and the finest quality eye surgery in the area, so you can turn to Dr. Mahootchi and Dr. Attri for help in overcoming your worst headache symptoms. Call (813) 779-3338 to make your appointment and regain control over your vision.