Can vision changes cause headaches?

From the Guidelines

Yes, vision changes can cause headaches, as evidenced by the most recent study in 2023 1, which highlights the importance of correcting underlying vision problems to alleviate headaches. When your eyes strain to focus due to uncorrected vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, the extra effort can trigger headaches, particularly around the eyes, forehead, or temples. These eye strain headaches often develop after prolonged visual activities like reading, computer work, or driving. Other vision-related issues that commonly cause headaches include presbyopia (age-related difficulty focusing on close objects), convergence insufficiency (difficulty keeping both eyes working together for near vision), and sudden changes in prescription needs. Some key points to consider:

• Migraine headaches and peripheral vasospasm have been identified as risk factors for glaucomatous optic nerve damage, as noted in a 2016 study 1.
• The International Headache Society’s categorization of headaches is listed in a 2002 study 1, which provides a framework for understanding the different types of headaches.
• A 2018 study on idiopathic intracranial hypertension 1 highlights the importance of considering underlying conditions that may contribute to headaches. If you're experiencing headaches along with blurred vision, double vision, or eye pain, you should see an eye doctor for a comprehensive examination. Treatment typically involves correcting the underlying vision problem with appropriate glasses or contact lenses. For computer-related eye strain, following the 20-20-20 rule can help (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds). Vision-related headaches occur because the muscles in and around your eyes must work harder to compensate for vision problems, causing fatigue and tension that spreads to surrounding areas of the head. It's essential to prioritize correcting the underlying vision problem to alleviate headaches, as recommended in the most recent study in 2023 1.

From the Research

Vision Changes and Headaches

• Vision changes can be associated with headaches, particularly in the case of migraines 2, 3, 4
• Migraines can cause visual disturbances, including auras, which can be complex and varied in nature 4
• These visual disturbances can be transient, but in some cases, they can be persistent or even permanent 3

Ophthalmic Manifestations of Headache Disorders

• Ophthalmologists often evaluate patients with headaches and eye pain, and while ophthalmic causes are sometimes diagnosed, many eye pain and visual disturbances are neurologic in origin 2
• The major divisions of primary headache disorders are migraine and the trigeminal autonomic cephalgias, both of which can have ophthalmic manifestations 2

Relationship Between Vision Loss and Headaches

• Migraine-related visual-field loss can occur, and while it is usually transient, persistent or permanent visual field defects may occur 3
• In some cases, visual recovery may still occur even when field defects are present for 10 days or more 3

Investigation of Headache Patients

• When investigating a patient with headache, certain historical and examination findings can increase the likelihood of a secondary headache disorder and the need for diagnostic testing 5
• Diagnostic studies, including neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid examination, and blood tests, can be selected depending on the patient's history and findings 5