There is probably no pain in the world more stubborn and unbearable, except for the headache. Only a toothache can compete with her.
It is proved that the pain syndrome with cephalgia (headache) is almost the most powerful. Headache in the eye area is even more severe. This symptom can accompany both harmless conditions and formidable diseases.
It is for this reason that you should better learn about this insidious manifestation.
Headache in the eye area: causes
In the minds of the average layman, not burdened with medical knowledge, a headache is associated with the flu and the common cold, overwork. Meanwhile, the reasons why the headache in the eye area can be counted more than a dozen. In each case, the treatment will be different. What are the causes of headache in the eye area:
• Increased intracranial pressure. In a normal state, the human brain is in a special fluid - cerebrospinal fluid. As a result of pathological processes, cerebrospinal fluid can become too much. Since the space of the skull is limited, this causes an increase in intracranial pressure. This condition causes intense pain in the eye area.
• Migraine. Another common cause of eye pain. With migraine, the pain is localized in one part of the head. It is characterized by high intensity.
• Fatigue. As a result of prolonged exertion, a headache may occur. This is especially true for people engaged in mental work and those who strain their organs of vision (for example, for office workers, etc.). Cephalgia occurs as a result of a spasm of blood vessels that feed the brain.
• Injury. In medical practice, brain injuries are ubiquitous. Usually we are talking about hematomas that compress brain structures.
• Brain tumors. As in the case of hematomas, they cause brain compression and, as a result, are manifested by severe pain.
• Stroke. It occurs mainly in older people. However, young people are not safe from this serious condition.
• Colds, SARS. It is characterized by pain in the eyes and forehead.
• Aneurysm. It is a vascular pathology.
• Diseases not related to the brain, such as sinusitis. In this case, the source of pain lies outside the cranium.
• Glaucoma. A dangerous and extremely serious disease that slowly leads to blindness. With glaucoma, intraocular pressure rises, feedback is triggered: not the eyes hurt because of the head, but the head because of the eyes.
• VBI (vertebrobasilar insufficiency). It occurs due to insufficiency of cerebral circulation.
The reasons why the head hurts in the eye area are diverse. The cause of pain can only be determined by the results of diagnostic measures. The most common sources of discomfort (they account for up to 80% of all visits to the doctor) are:
• Overwork.
• Migraine.
• ARVI.
Myths about headaches in the eye area
Like any pathological (and sometimes even natural) condition, a headache localized in the eye area is surrounded by a mass of myths. Here are just a few of the most common.
1) If the headache does not go away after taking the pills, you should think about brain cancer. In fact, there can be many reasons why a headache does not go away even after pills: resistance of the condition (for example, with cluster headaches, with migraines), improperly selected drugs, etc. In addition, cancer of the brain is manifested not only by pain, but also by dozens of other signs.
2) When the head hurts - the brain itself hurts. It is not true. The brain substance cannot hurt, the meninges hurt.
3) If the head and eyes hurt - this is glaucoma. Also not true. Of course, such a formidable disease as glaucoma can cause the described type of cephalgia, but the same symptoms are characteristic of migraines.
4) Headache always indicates a severe brain damage. Relatively safe conditions, such as overwork, can also lead to headaches. This is just a myth.
There are other myths. However, it is with such settings that patients come to the treating specialist. Do not be serious about such "tales". However, to say that the pain will pass on its own is also not worth it. It can be a matter of rather serious diseases, especially if the symptom is observed continuously or periodically. Only a doctor will help you figure it out.
Symptomatology
For differential diagnosis, it is important to know how certain diseases appear that are accompanied by a headache in the eye area.
• Glaucoma. It occurs most often in people over 40 years old. With an acute attack of glaucoma, the following are observed:
o Decreased vision.
o Disrupted pupil response to light.
o Photophobia.
o Intense pain in the forehead, nose, eyes themselves. The pain syndrome is pulsating, acute.
A disease such as glaucoma can be very quiet. The more dangerous it becomes.
• Increased intracranial pressure (intracranial hypertension). It is characterized by severe pain in the eye area, pains and burning in the eyes themselves. It is not an independent disease. May be a consequence of a brain tumor, intracranial hematoma, hydrocephalus, etc.
• Migraine. For migraines, the unilateral nature of the pain is characteristic, the appearance of the so-called. “auras”, when “stars”, “flies” fly in the eyes, etc. The pains are intense, throbbing, give into the eye from the affected side.
• Cluster headaches. They are extremely rare. However, they are accompanied by extremely intense pain on the one hand. The power of discomfort is so great that suicidal attempts are recorded.
• Stroke. It is accompanied by neurological disorders (after a few hours).
• Overwork. It is a normal physiological phenomenon. The pain of overwork is like a tight hoop pulling one's head together. Fortunately, for such pain to go away, just relax.
Other conditions and diseases are rare and do not present diagnostic complexity.
Diagnostics
From the point of view of diagnosis, a headache is a real storehouse of questions that need to be answered. The first thing a patient should do is go to the hospital. The first doctor to whom it is recommended to consult is a therapist. He will give the necessary directions and directions. A headache is such a common symptom that we can talk about anything. Therefore, the list of specialists is very wide:
• Neurologist. Deals with problems with the nervous system. More often than not, a headache treatment is his “diocese”.
• Cardiologist. Pain in the head in the eye can be a manifestation of hypertension.
• Ophthalmologist. It treats glaucoma.
• Neurosurgeon. If volumetric formations of the brain are detected, its consultation is indicated.
Diagnosis begins in the doctor’s office when a specialist in a white coat asks questions about the patient’s complaints. This is a medical history. It is necessary for making an initial diagnosis. In the future comes the turn of instrumental research.
• The gold standard in diagnosing the causes of cephalgia is MRI or CT. These methods allow you to see in detail the state of the brain, identify neoplasms, assess the state of blood vessels, etc.
• Encephalogram makes it possible to evaluate the functional activity of the brain.
• Dopplerography of the vessels of the neck. It is necessary to detect blood flow disorders in the vertebrobasilar basin.
Usually these methods are enough to make an accurate diagnosis.
Headache in the eye area: what to do
All people who at least once experienced a headache ask themselves: "When does a headache in the eye area what to do?" There is a definite answer to this natural question: eliminate the root cause. To eliminate only one symptom is a thankless task, the main process will continue. Therefore, it is so important to consult a doctor with regular headaches. And to alleviate the condition, you need to be able to provide yourself and others first aid.
Good for relieving pain:
• Cold and hot shower.
• Cold compress on the forehead and eyes.
• Relaxation.
• Change in body position (helps with stagnation in the vessels of the neck).
Of course, when it comes to diseases, these methods will not help, drugs are needed. In this case, you can drink an antispasmodic and / or analgesic pill before visiting a doctor (Nurofen, Novigan, Ketorol, etc..).
Treatment, as already mentioned, is aimed at eliminating the root cause. Doctors prescribe anti-migraine drugs, analgesics, antispasmodics (to relieve vasospasm), drugs against hypertension, etc. Specific names are selected by a specialized specialist. Self-treatment should not be categorically.
A headache can be a temporary inconvenience, or it can be a harbinger of serious health problems. In any case, it is recommended to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
