Marla wrote:
I have a 7 year old son who wears glasses for astigmatism and is a bit near-sighted. Over the last couple weeks he occasionally complains of a headache to the right side of his head, toward the back. Not in his temporal or frontal area, but almost clear to the back of his head. It normally goes away when he puts his glasses back on, but a couple times we have used Tylenol, which fixes it also. These are not all the time, just occasionally, but we’re wondering if it’s strictly because he’s used to the glasses now and when he doesn’t wear them, his head hurts or if it maybe is something else. It seems like an odd place for a headache due to not having his glasses on, but I just don’t know.
Thank you!

ANSWER

Dear Marla:
You are right, headaches in the frontal or temporal area are more common with wearing/not wearing glasses. However, it is possible to report headaches more toward the back of the head when there is a significant refractive error present and glasses are not worn. If wearing the glasses on a full-time basis completely eliminates the headaches, then your son’s symptoms have a simple solution – wear the glasses. If, however, the headaches persist even when his glasses are worn on a full time basis, you may want to check with your family doctor to investigate his symptoms further.
Best of luck
Dr. Henry Smit

Tony wrote:
I have been experiencing a number of symptoms recently, that I never had before in my life.

All of a sudden about 2 weeks ago, a strange kind of headache came on that I never had before, this went away the following day and since then I have developed eye pain and burning sensation which is always there. The eyes sometimes water, other times it feels dry. The headaches then returned about 9 days ago and it is causing me major concerns. I am usually a very alert and high mental energy person, but I am now not able to concentrate or follow the same kind of high intensity work I normally do. In fact given the chance I would rather just rest which is totally against my character.

I have had an eye test and my vision is fine, although my far vision is superior to my near vision.

I am in my mid 40s and work in front of PC for the best part of a working day.

Whilst I can tolerate the eye dryness and burning, the eye pain and headaches are quite debilitating.

I have seen my GP and he has referred me to a neurologist, but with the UK ’s NHS system, that appointment could be some time away.

Any idea what this could be and what I need to do to help myself.

ANSWER

Hello Tony,
I am sorry that you are suffering with these debilitating symptoms.  The burning and tearing sound like symptoms of dry eye.  You may be able to find some relief from those particular symptoms with an artificial tear used as needed.  As for the more major concern of the headaches and altered moods, I certainly agree with your GP about the need for a neurology consultation.  I really wouldn’t be able to hazard a guess as to the cause of the problem without examining your eyes.  The headaches may turn out to be not eye-related at all!  I would advise you, however, that if your headaches are increasing in frequency, duration, or severity, that you seek emergent care from your family doctor or a hospital.

I hope you are feeling better soon,
Dr. Donati

Ronda wrote:
My 6 year old son has complained about blurred vision and “his brain hurts”.
Yesterday he said that it seemed like the lights were going dim in his class room and he had a headache and blurry vision. Is this an eye problem or should I see his paediatrician?  My son and I were hit by a car a year and a half ago, and he was wearing his bike helmet.  I don’t know if that has anything to do with this.

ANSWER

This does not sound like an eye problem specifically.  I would take him to his paediatrician as soon as possible.  If no other problem is found, then he may be sent for an eye exam.

Dr. Joan Hansen, Optometrist for CAO

April wrote:

I have had a pain in my eye for 5 days. Just in the right eye when I move it up/down/left or right. Is this just a migraine in the eye?

ANSWER

Migraines do not happen in the eye.  It is important to have symptoms such as this checked by your eye doctor right away.  Most Doctors will see you within a day or two when you have symptoms such as this.

Dr. Joan Hansen, Optometrist for CAO

Kornelia wrote:
I work in a manufacturing environment where all employees are required to wear safety glasses at all times. One of my employees is prone to migraine headaches and swears that seeing through any type of eye wear (plastic or glass safety glasses, sun glasses, etc) leads to a migraine. Do you have any suggestions for eye protection to keep this individual safe?

ANSWER

This could be someone with a legitimate complaint, possibly a sinus condition that is triggered by the weight of the glasses on their nose, that they assume is migraine. There are all kinds of issues like this in Health and Safety, that at first glance seem frivolous, but end up creating huge problems for employers.
I would respond by urging the employee to have a thorough examination by whatever specialty applies.

Not wearing appropriate eye protection is not an option!

CAO Staff

Mandy wrote:
My boyfriend has had this reoccurring vision episode since he was a child.
Once or twice a year, out of nowhere, things look really far away.  This lasts a few minutes and is really scary for him, and then his vision comes back to normal.  I first thought it was some type of seizure and could not find anything about it online (we are struggling financially so going to a doctor is not possible).
I am not sure if this is related, but: In the last 3 years he has had 2 seizures.  Both were drug induced and about 7 months apart (the first from cocaine, close to an overdose and the second the doctor prescribed him Zanex for paranoia-a lingering problem the cocaine abuse left him after he quit-and he ran out of his Zanex prescription which sent him into the 2nd seizure.  Both seizures sent him to the ER but he was sent home the same day.
He is now drug free and the eye episodes continue.  He has tried to explain the episode to a doctor and they looked at him like he was crazy.  I have been there for some of them and his eyes twitch uncontrollably.  Can you please provide some type of explanation?
Thank you for taking the time to help us.

ANSWER

Mandy,
This condition is called ophthalmic migraine. This is not related to seizures but a natural migraine process. When this occurs there is a temporary, not damaging, restriction of blood flow in the back of the head where the brain “sees” and interprets what the eye provide as an image. These episodes can last from several minutes up to 72 hours, depending on the severity of the episode. There is nothing to do about it except to take a usual migraine prescription. Uncontrolled eye movements can be associated with these episodes as well. I would not be worried about these episodes. If you look at the family background there is a strong possibility that someone else (mostly females) is also affected by migraine. Expression of this problem can vary from one to person to another but usually it is genetically inherited and expressed under stress, fatigue or can be induced by drugs effects as well. This has to be triggered by something but there is no damage involved even if there are recurrent episodes.

Good luck
Langis Michaud

Sarah wrote:

This morning I had something strange happen with my eyes. For about 15-20 mins I had some unusual thin horizontal lines in my vision. The lines themselves weren’t moving but looked kind of like coloured TV static. When I moved my eyes, the lines moved too, staying in the same position in my field of view. They were present in both eyes in different positions. After several minutes of only 2-3 lines, several more appeared on my right eye so that I could barely see anything properly and then soon after they all disappeared again and everything was back to normal. First time anything strange has happened with my sight.  Should I get this checked out or put it down to getting up to early on a Monday morning?

Thanks for your help,
Sarah

ANSWER

Hi Sarah,
What you experienced sounds exactly what we call an ocular migraine.  With an ocular migraine unusual visual symptoms are experienced, which can be quite concerning especially if it is the first time it has occurred.  These visual symptoms are also referred to as the aura part of a migraine.  Some people will get a headache after the episode, but some people do not. Most people describe the symptoms like you did – that they see lines or light and sometimes they will be in a zig-zag pattern and these will impede the ability to see.  Typically they last for approximately twenty minutes.  The mechanism for this event is similar in nature to a typical migraine.  Generally these are not harmful but I would recommend seeing your optometrist to rule out any retinal problems as these can cause similar symptoms.  You also may want to pay a visit to your family physician if you do not normally suffer from migraines.

Dr. Carol Doman

Mike wrote:
In early September I was diagnosed with a corneal ulcer.  I had worn the Focus 1 - 2 Week contact lenses for many years (-5.25 both eyes, BC 9.0, DIA 14.0).  I did not wear lenses again until late October while the infection healed.  My optician then put me on the ACUVUE 1-Day Moist lenses (-5.0 both eyes, 8.5 BC, DIA 14.2).  I wore them for just a few hours a day the first weeks. By the beginning of November, I was up to probably 12 hours per day and the lenses were relatively comfortable.  However, my problem is that I have had nearly daily headaches since early November.  They are intermittent and relatively mild but mainly involve pain behind and above the eyes.  My optician says the lens Rx is correct and that is not the problem.  I have been tested for many things in searching for a cause of the headaches since November and all tests have been fine (Brain MRI, blood work, etc.)  Is there any way that these daily headaches could be a function of the change to the new lenses?
Thanks for your time.

ANSWER

Hi Mike,
It sounds like you’ve had quite an ordeal with your eyes over the past few months.  The quick answer to your question is that switching to a different type of contact lens would not cause headaches.  Without knowing all of your clinical data and without examining your eyes myself, it is hard to know if your eyes could be the cause of your headaches.  However headaches are not commonly caused by your type of prescription.  Have you had a full eye exam by your optometrist since your infection?  By having a full eye exam your optometrist can investigate ocular causes of your headaches.  That is the only way to know if your eyes may be causing the headaches.  Often it can be very hard to determine the cause of headaches – there’s just so many possibilities.  I hope this can be of help to you and good luck with finding the answer.

Dr. Carol Doman

Kay wrote:

Hello. I am a 28 year old female and I am a vegetarian. I recently experienced some pretty strange vision abnormalities that I have never experienced before. It happened in several progressive stages.

I was driving on the freeway and I felt my eyelid start twitching, I started to see spots similar to what you would see if you looked directly at the sun. I didn’t think too much of it because it was a bright day. It was followed by a spot in the middle of my field of vision. The best way that I can think to describe the spot would be if you tried to look through a piece of plastic wrap with a drop of water on it, obscuring what you are trying to look at. There was also a slight prism effect.

I tried looking down at the speedometer but I couldn’t see the numbers. Everywhere I tried to focus was a dark blur. I could see the peripheral view, but nothing that I was actually trying to look at. I tried to look at the numbers on the radio, but I couldn’t see them. I could see the color of the LED lights, but not the actual numbers that I was trying to focus on.

The next thing that happened was a strobe effect. It reminded me of being in a dark room that is being lit by a fluorescent light that is burning out and flickering. This part didn’t seem to effect my entire field of vision, it seemed more like it was happening above my head. The whole episode lasted for about 40 minutes, then I was fine. I got a slight headache about an hour afterward, which easily went away with a few Tylenol.

Any ideas what could have caused this?

Thanks, Kay

ANSWER

Dear Kay,

First let me say this must have been pretty scary while driving on the freeway, and I am happy that you made it home safe and sound.  Your description sounds like a typical migraine aura. These episodes are not always followed by a headache, and often are brought on by stress of some kind. If you have not already seen your general family doctor about this episode, I would encourage you to do so as soon as possible. He or she will want to check your blood pressure and perhaps a few other things.

Dr. Joan Hansen

Abdul wrote:
Hello there,
For the past 3 months I am having burning sensation in my eyes, accompanied by pain and headache. I am preparing for my exams but am unable to study due to this problem. My doctor examined me and said my eyes are perfectly normal. Please help me know what is the problem with my eyes as I am not able to study at all and my exams are approaching.
thanks

ANSWER

Dear Abdul

There are many reasons why you may be experiencing a burning pain in your eyes as well as headaches. If you have had your eyes examined and they were found to be normal, then it is unlikely that you require glasses or that you have any serious eye conditions.

It is not uncommon for students to experience symptoms of dry eyes (which often include a burning sensation) when they are engrossed in their studies. Reading intensely from either books or a computer screen, tends to slow down the normal rate of blinking, and this can lead to temporary dryness of the surface of the eye. Using commercially prepared non-prescription artificial tears or lubricating solutions may be helpful. Your pharmacist will be able to assist you in choosing an effective product that has a gentle or rapidly dissipating preservative.

Just the stress of studying can sometimes cause pain and headaches even in individuals whose eyes are perfectly normal. Many headaches can be traced to dealing with life’s stresses – studying for examinations could certainly fit in that category.

Dr. Henry Smit