Common Reasons for Headaches With Vision Changes
Headaches can sometimes cause blurry vision and other vision problems. This is especially true with migraines and cluster headaches.
Migraine Headache
A migraine headache can cause intense pain in and around your eyes, as well as vision changes.
- An aura may occur before the actual headache. An aura typically lasts about 20 minutes and can include visual symptoms such as:
- Blurry vision
- Flashing lights
- A rainbow of lights
- A zig-zag pattern of shimmering lights
- Some people who experience a migraine aura never develop the actual headache, making it difficult to diagnose visual problems.
Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches are severe headaches that occur in clusters. They typically cause pain around the eyes, which often travels down the neck to include the shoulder. Other symptoms include:
- Cluster headaches may occur daily for several months at a time, followed by a long period without headaches.
Emergency Causes of Blurry Vision
In some cases, blurry vision can indicate a more serious condition and possible medical emergency.
- Stroke
- A stroke occurs when a blood clot travels to the brain, interrupting blood flow, or when a blood vessel ruptures and causes bleeding in the brain.
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Carbon monoxide poisoning is treatable in a hospital with oxygen and other supportive measures, depending on the severity of the poisoning.
Additional Causes of Blurry Vision and Headache
Vision problems can cause headaches when you either overwork the eyes or struggle to maintain focus, such as an eye strain headache. By correcting the vision problem, you can often resolve the headache.
- Eye-Strain Headache
- Vision problems can cause headaches when you either overwork the eyes or struggle to maintain focus, such as an eye strain headache.
- Common causes of eye strain include:
- Looking at screens for a long time
- Using digital devices
- Reading
- Watching TV
- Farsightedness
- Adults and children with uncorrected farsightedness (hypermetropia) will often experience headaches, especially when reading.
- Presbyopia
- Around the age of 40, some individuals may start to have difficulty focusing on nearby objects. This condition is known as presbyopia.
- Dehydration
- Dehydration can cause headaches, blurred vision, double vision, and tired and strained eyes because the eye is not properly lubricated.
Summary
Migraines and cluster headaches are common causes of blurry vision with a headache. They go away once you no longer have the headache. Eye conditions or eye strain can also cause headaches. In some cases, vision difficulties and a headache, particularly when the headache is severe, are signs of a medical emergency, such as a stroke, lack of blood flow to the eye, or increased skull pressure. So, if you are experiencing headaches and vision changes, especially if these symptoms are new, seek immediate medical care to ensure prompt treatment and improve prognosis.
FAQs
- What are common causes of blurry vision and headaches?
- Migraines, cluster headaches, eye strain, farsightedness, and presbyopia
- What are the symptoms of a stroke?
- Numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg, confusion or difficulty speaking, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, dizziness, loss of balance, or difficulty walking
- What is carbon monoxide poisoning?
- A condition caused by inhaling carbon monoxide, which can cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea
- How can I prevent eye strain?
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule, use artificial tears as needed, tilt your computer screen slightly down, ensure your eyeglasses or contact prescription is up to date, and avoid bright lights.
