Eye and Head Pain
Eye and head pain are quite common because there are several connections between these two parts of the body:
- Nerves
- Muscles
- Blood vessels
The nerves of the eyes begin in the brain and reach up to other parts of the head.
Damage and injury to the nerves can cause pain in all areas where there are nerve endings. The muscles of the face and neck can have reflexogenic points, that is, points that can produce pain in an area of the body when activated.
At the vascular level, in the event of trauma, a hematoma (blood accumulation) may occur, subdural hemorrhage may also occur, which puts pressure on some areas of the head and eyes. Also, inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis) can occur which can cause pain around the eyes.
Sinusitis
The sinusitis is an infection of the pits/nasal and paranasal sinuses that can cause swelling behind the eyes.
Sinusitis can cause:
- Pain in one or both eyes (bilateral)
- Stuffy nose and cold
- Pain in the temples
- Frontal pain in the nose
- Fever
Trigger point (trigger point)
There are points in the muscles called trigger points that cause muscle pain radiated when they are active.
The muscles that can cause pain from the neck to the forehead or the eye are:
- Sternocleidomastoid
- Suboccipital muscles (just below the neck )
The first bundles of the temporal muscles have a trigger point that can cause pain in:
- Scenes
- Frente
- Eyes
Causes of pain in the eyes and head
If the patient has intermittent pain around the eyes, but they are healthy, the cause may be one of the following:
Migraines
A migraine is a problem that causes:
- Stabbing eye pain
- Photophobia
- Sickness
- Defects of vision
This problem is one of the most common causes of eye pain during pregnancy.
A cluster headache. A cluster headache causes episodic eye pain that can last from 15 minutes to two hours.
It is usually characterized by a dysfunction of the sympathetic nervous system.
Trigeminal neuralgia. The Trigeminal neuralgia is the most troublesome disease that causes chronic pain with occasional twinges lancinating or burning.
The pain lasts a few minutes or seconds, does not have a fixed frequency.
The pain can be localized in the following areas:
- Jaw and maxilla
- Cheeks and eyes
- Forehead and scalp
The pain can be triggered by vibrations or by contact, for example when combing, brushing teeth, touching temples or cold air current.
The cause is shingles, an infection that can cause unbearable pain that is resistant to medical treatment.
High intracranial pressure
Diseases that cause high intracranial pressure and eye pain can be:
- Aneurysm brain
- Brain tumors
- Venous sinus thrombosis
- Pseudotumor cerebri
Ocular pain caused by elevated intracranial pressure may worsen with the Valsalva maneuver.
Neck pain
The neck pain higher can cause a headache that radiates up front from behind the eye, vertigo (dizziness) and mental confusion.
Between the first two vertebrae of the neck (C1 and C2) there are no discs, so the pain cannot be caused by a herniated disc.
The causes can be cervical osteoarthritis, a blockage of the joints that interferes with nerves or connective tissue adhesions.
Eye pain due to vascular diseases
Rarely, eye pain is a symptom of subdural, epidural, subarachnoid or intracerebral hemorrhage. Any disease of the carotid artery (e.g., inflammation, blood clots, thrombosis, dissection) can cause monocular symptoms and could signal an impending stroke, even if the pain in the eye is not the only symptom.
Natural remedies for eye and head pain
For mild cases of discomfort in the eye:
- Let your eyes rest
- Avoid strong light
As with other diseases, a healthy diet can cure most eye problems, although patients often prefer eye drops and medications that provide only temporary relief.
Several types of natural food provide the body with all the necessary nutrients without the harmful substances that the body manages to digest, such as:
- Gluten
- Lactose
- Caffeine and other stimulants