Headaches Diagnostics and Treatments

Can Headaches be caused by Vision Problems?

If you’re suffering from frequent headaches it is essential to have an eye exam to determine if an untreated eye problem could be the culprit.

A routine eye exam can turn up a variety of issues related to eyestrain that could be causing headaches. In some cases not wearing the proper vision correction, staring at a computer screen that emits radiation or working in area that is exposed to incandescent lights that cause glare can bring on a headache. Sometimes these can also be triggers for a migraine type headache which can also be associated with temporary distortion in your vision, temporary vision loss, or temporary spots in your vision.

The most common eye conditions that can cause headaches if left untreated are:

• Astigmatism, in which the cornea is not properly shaped causing multiple images in the vision, and requires squinting in order to focus your vision.

• Hyperopia also know as farsightedness, which causes strain for focusing on computers or other near tasks

• Presbyopia, a condition in which a person’s natural internal lens has become less flexible with age, making it difficult to focus on near objects
  
  

However, those headaches could also be triggered by something more serious, such as glaucoma, cataracts, increased cranial pressure, brain tumors, and aneurysms. All of these which are all very serious can lead to vision loss or even worth death.

Eye Exam for Patients with Headaches

We have tailored an eye exam specific for patients with headaches. It starts out just like a typical eye exam with chart readings and a biomicroscopy exam. During this portion the doctors will measure your vision with a refraction to rule out any of the most common vision problems that can cause headaches. These preliminary tests check your overall visual system and vision processing.

After the initial tests are complete, we move on to the portion that is dedicated to Headaches and this to rule out any real serious threats to your eyesight or health. Here we start with a complete history that reviews of all the main systems in your body. For example: cardiovascular history and neurological history. Then the doctors perform a neuro exam to check all the cranial nerves that innervate the eyes and face. Next we check your threshold color vision and examine the optic nerve inside the eye, which directly connects the eyes to the brain. When this is complete we measure the threshold of your peripheral vision to ensure there are no early signs of peripheral vision loss. This test maps out the function of the optic nerve and its entire path through the brain. This non-invasive test can help our doctors locate where in the brain the problem could be located and if it is related to the headaches.

Finally, we do imaging of both the anterior part of the eye and the retina. Our state-of-the-art digital imaging devices are able to work through your pupil, to look at all structures of your eye, including the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels. This also will include a High Definition Scan of the optics of the eye to determine a patient’s potential quality of vision, and if it is being impacted by some type of neurological problem.

Through these tests, we can determine the root cause of your headaches so that we can take steps to preventively protect your vision and your life. Following the exam our doctors will write a prescription to correct any vision problems that could cause headaches and if there are any other health problems the doctors will develop a specific treatment plan to manage your condition and ensure you can become headache free.