Headache & Migraine Awareness is an opportunity to learn more about the difference between the two, what may cause them, how to manage them and how to seek help!
At Cooper & Lourie Family Optometrists, we have a strong interest in how headaches and migraines can be related to your eye health and vision!
Vision is a pivotal part of your perception and is linked to your nervous system. Changes in one can affect the other – so problems with your eyes might be the cause of the headaches you’re experiencing.
Common causes of headaches, related to the eye:
- Eye strain – simply by overusing the muscles involved in focusing, you’re at risk of developing strain around the eyes and head. Visual tasks that demand the intense use of your eyes for long periods are normally the underlying cause; but eye strain can also be linked to general vision problems.If you read, write, drive, or work in low-lighting environments for an extended period of time, then be sure to blink often and give your eyes a break every twenty minutes. This can be as simple as looking out the window for twenty seconds. This is particularly important if you work at a computer or use your smartphone for hours at a time.
- Eye-coordination – In some cases, both of your eyes may not coordinate well together because one is misaligned or out of focus. This can make activities that involve depth perception more difficult. For example, watching a 3D movie may cause headaches or nausea. At Cooper and Lourie, we are well experienced in binocular vision and are equipped and more than happy to help investigate any issues you may be having.
- Common eye conditions – These might also be linked to your headaches. Astigmatism, far and short-sightedness, and even glaucoma, are a few examples. If you’ve already scheduled an appointment with your general practitioner, it’s a good idea to also see your optometrist. They will identify and help treat any underlying ocular conditions or otherwise, aide in the process of elimination when investigating headaches/migraines.