There are several underlying causes that can result in symptoms of headaches and sore eyes. An examination by a health-care professional is often necessary to determine if these symptoms are due to a serious health condition. Three factors can be evaluated in determining the underlying cause. First, see if it is a refractive issue, meaning that glasses or another type of visual correction will resolve the problem. If the symptoms are not refractive in nature, then ocular health must be assessed to diagnose other possible eye conditions, such as inflammation or infection. If ocular health is normal, further testing may be needed to rule out other causes, ranging from sinus pressure to neurological conditions.
Refractive Causes
The first question to ask is whether or not vision is blurry. Prolonged visual tasks, including computer use, can cause eye strain for people who may not have difficulties in other situations. The American Optometric Association defines computer vision syndrome, or CVS, as "the complex of eye and vision problems related to near work which are experienced during or related to computer use." Many individuals lose their ability to focus near age 40 due to the natural loss of accommodation called presbyopia. An eye doctor can perform a refraction to determine if glasses will be successful in alleviating the underlying symptoms.
Eye Health Issues
Ocular health issues may also be responsible for headaches and eye strain. Allergies typically result in itching of the eyes but can also lead to swelling, pain and blurred vision. An infection may present with significant discharge from the eye, along with redness and pain. Dry eye syndrome is another likely cause, which often results in a dry and gritty feeling to the eyes. A comprehensive eye examination is necessary to accurately diagnose and treat the indicated condition.
Other Underlying Causes
If an eye examination is normal, the symptoms may be due to other causes, such as sinus issues. Several sinus cavities are near the eye and often cause eye pressure and pain. Various medications are effective in relieving sinus pressure. More serious causes of headaches could be ones that are neurological or vascular in nature. In some cases, brain imaging may be necessary to determine the reason for new or persistent head pain. These tests are usually performed when standard tests are either unremarkable or insinuate the need for further evaluation.
References
- American Optometric Association: Computer Vision Syndrome
- "The Wills Eye Manual"; J. Ehlers and C. Shah; 2008
