Headache Behind The Eye 

Most people experience a headache behind the eyes at some point. The most common symptoms include uncomfortable pressure behind the eye, headache and burning eyes, or pain behind the eye when moving. It is known that such symptoms can be associated with an eye condition. But what are the causes behind these complaints, how dangerous are they and what provides relief?

Triggers of the complaints

There are a few different triggers for such pain, including:

Ametropia or incorrect correction of the visual aid

Eye strain from working long hours at the computer

Eyestrain from reading in dim light

Migraines (often with flashes and flickering)

Cluster headache

Increased eye pressure

Acute eye diseases

Even if some of the triggers listed are harmless, an ophthalmological examination should be carried out if the headache persists or if the symptoms worsen. Visit one of our stores for a medical eye screening.

Headaches and acute eye diseases

There are many sensitive nerve cells in the eye area, which can cause the pain to radiate to another area of ​​the head if the eye is irritated by an eye disease. Eye diseases that cause severe eye pain and headaches include acute glaucoma. In the case of acute glaucoma, only one eye is usually affected, in which the eye pressure rises sharply within a short period of time. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate eye care.

Increased intraocular pressure as a possible cause of pain

Increased eye pressure is a particularly insidious disease, because those affected often have hardly any symptoms. Only sometimes do symptoms appear in the form of headaches, eye pain or burning and reddened eyes. The risk of increased intraocular pressure increases from the age of 40, which is why it is advisable to measure intraocular pressure regularly from this age, even if there are no symptoms or mild symptoms. The consequence of increased eye pressure is irreversible damage to the optic nerve, which can lead to glaucoma (green star).

Headache Behind The Eyes

How can the intraocular pressure be measured and what is the treatment?

A measurement of the eye pressure is painless and is carried out by a specialist using either a tonometry or a visual field measurement.

If the intraocular pressure is too high, the goal of therapy is to normalize the intraocular pressure and keep it in the normal range. For successful therapy, it must therefore be clarified whether the intraocular pressure or an underlying disease needs to be treated. There are drug treatments, laser therapies, surgical interventions or individually tailored therapy methods to choose from.