If you struggle with unexplained headaches, a vision exam could be well worth your time. It’s not always that headaches are tied to vision problems, nor do all vision problems cause headaches, but often the two are interlinked. An eye exam can closely look for an explanation and offer some much needed relief.
Known Conditions That Can Cause Headaches
There are a few known situations where headaches may be related to your vision. These are when changes in your eyes go uncorrected, when your prescription is incorrect, or when you experience eye strain.
Uncorrected Vision Changes
Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know. When you have never had an eye exam and have never been given a prescription to correct your vision, often you aren’t aware of the ways in which your vision is affected. This is especially true for children who can’t explain how and why something hurts. Having headaches and realizing that they might be related to your vision could easily be something that gets overlooked. You may have an astigmatism (when the cornea is an abnormal shape), hyperopia (farsightedness due to the eye focusing images behind the retina rather than directly on it), or presbyopia (when the lenses in our eyes begin to lose flexibility which makes it hard to focus on objects near to you). Allowing any of these vision problems to go uncorrected could contribute to headaches.
Incorrect Prescriptions
Our eyes change as we age. If you have glasses or wear contacts already, you are probably aware at how often your prescription can change. This is one reason annual eye exams are so important. Your prescription can change quite a bit from one year to the next, so make sure you schedule and keep that annual appointment. We always recommend that you give a new prescription some time for your eyes and brain to adjust to, but if, after a while, you are still getting headaches while wearing your new glasses, have the prescription in the new glasses double checked. Don’t just suffer through the pain or decide to go back to wearing your old glasses and waste the money you spent on new glasses. We want you to be happy with your new glasses, which means we want them to work right for you.
Eye Strain
Many of us spend hours working on a computer or casually scrolling on a smartphone screen on a daily basis. Though our modern technology offers us incredible conveniences, the effects of looking at a screen for prolonged periods of time can be harmful on our eyes. When experiencing eye strain, our eyes might feel tired and achy. We might experience blurred vision, or even get headaches. To help relieve the effects of eye strain, follow the 20-20-20 rule: For every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This allows your eyes the break they need.
Annual eye exams are crucial in your overall health. Call us to schedule your appointment today! 435.359.2020