Everyone experiences a headache occasionally, but having pain behind your eyes can disrupt your life. If you experience such condition often or every day, that frequency might indicate something more serious. If your headaches have required you to change your routine, be sure to talk to your doctor. Your primary care physician will consider your situation
and prescribe treatment based on your headache triggers, symptoms, and pain location. A headache behind your eyes can come with other symptoms. They can be a sign of a cluster headache, tension headache, or even sinus headaches that recur if you have allergies or sinus problems. When you feel stressed or tense, headache symptoms can arise. Some may go away with an over-the-counter painkiller, but others, like migraines, may become too
severe for you to continue working or enjoying time to yourself. Frequent issues like these can indicate a more serious condition, and so you should consult with your doctor. A headache behind your eyes can have multiple causes, and it may take some trial and error before you understand what triggers it. To identify the source of your headache pain, you should first consider the type of pain you have.
Not all headaches fit neatly into a single category, and you may experience a headache behind your eye that results from:
You might also have pain behind your eyes triggered by:
What Are the Symptoms of Headaches Behind the Eyes?The symptoms that accompany headaches behind your eyes vary with the kind of headache you experience. Likewise, while you may have a migraine or tension headache, your symptoms will vary. Similar types of pain often occur with several different kinds of headaches, which makes it challenging for doctors to diagnose them without information about your lifestyle. To identify which headaches you experience, look for specific symptoms associated with each one. Migraines go beyond the pain in your head and may come with sensitivity to light or sound, nausea, weakness, mood changes, and even an aura before the headache begins. These headaches usually occur only on one side of the head. Tension headaches can happen once or for several months, at which point your doctor will diagnose them as chronic headaches. Aside from pain behind your eyes, you may experience head tension, head tenderness, and forehead pressure. Cluster headaches, like migraines, occur on one side of the head and create extreme pain. You might also feel sweaty or flushed, have teary or red eyes, and feel congested or have a runny nostril. Sinus headaches can trigger pain anywhere your sinuses reach, including your eyes, nose, cheeks, forehead, and teeth. These headaches often accompany allergy symptoms like congestion, nasal discharge, and even fever. With sinus pain, you may notice the pain worsening over the course of the day. What Are the Risk Factors of a Headache Behind the Eyes?Headache pain often accompanies other factors, whether you have an underlying condition or have lifestyle factors you might change to minimize pain. Thyroid and eye problems like glaucoma can increase your risk of pain behind your eyes. You may also experience more headaches when you have sinusitis and allergies since they affect the area around your eyes. If you work in an office, you may also experience more headaches from looking at computer screens. Avoiding treatment for a headache can lead to its worsening or even becoming chronic. Frequent headaches can also signal an untreated autoimmune disorder like scleritis. How Do You Prevent Headaches Behind the Eyes?Preventing headache pain means staying aware of your triggers. If you have a chronic or autoimmune disease, get treatment for it to reduce the number of pain days you have. If you have pain behind your eyes due to lifestyle factors, make some changes like:
If you have many different types of headaches—for example, you experience both cluster headaches and tension headaches—you may need to experiment to find out what practices help you. How Do You Diagnose the Type of Headache?If you often experience pain behind your eyes, you should seek medical advice from your doctor. There are no specific tests to determine which kind of headache you have. Instead, your doctor will diagnose you based on the pain’s placement, severity, and possible causes. They may also run tests to check for underlying conditions. To diagnose your headaches, your doctor will look for a pattern. They will ask you questions about your symptoms and try to match them with migraines, tension headaches, cluster headaches, or sinus headaches. They will also conduct a physical exam to check your vision, coordination, senses, and reflexes. If your primary care doctor does not feel they can offer a precise diagnosis, they may refer you to a neurologist. How Do You Treat Headaches Behind the Eyes?Not every headache behind your eye requires a visit to the doctor. You can often treat them at home with these remedies:
If you have severe pain, you should seek medical advice immediately. Your doctor may prescribe treatment like antibiotics for sinusitis or prescription medication for migraines. ConclusionPain behind your eyes can come with many symptoms. Most go away with painkillers or rest, but some people require further treatment. While diagnosing the cause of a headache can present a challenge, you should contact your doctor if you are experiencing severe or chronic pain. Why does my right head and eye hurt?Sinus headaches
A sinus infection (sinusitis) can cause a headache around your eyes, nose, forehead, cheeks, and upper teeth. This is where your sinuses are. You'll often also have a fever, congestion, and a thick nasal discharge. The pain usually gets worse throughout the day.
Why do I have a headache on the right side of my head and eye?A headache on the right side of the head is often caused by a migraine, tension, or cluster headache. A right-sided headache can also be a symptom of chronic health conditions like arthritis or trigeminal neuralgia.
When should I worry about right sided head pain?If you're getting headaches only on one side of your head you shouldn't worry, but you should make an appointment with your doctor. One-sided headaches can mean different things. But they often point to a group of disorders that will need a thorough exam to provide treatment.
Why does the side of my head next to my eye hurt?Cluster headaches
A cluster headache can cause severe pain on one side of the head, often around the eye. The pain can be very severe, and it may feel sharp, burning, or piercing. About 1% of people in the United States experience cluster headaches.
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