If you feel pain or pressure behind your eyes, you may wonder, Why does my head hurt behind my eyes?” This type of headache can feel like pressure, aching, throbbing, or pain deep around one or both eyes.
Pain behind the eyes can have several possible causes. Sometimes it is related to a common headache disorder, eye strain, sinus problems, or tired eyes. In other cases, pain around or behind the eye can be associated with an eye condition that needs medical attention.
The location of the pain alone cannot tell you exactly what is causing it. Other symptoms, including vision changes, nasal congestion, nausea, sensitivity to light, eye redness, or pain with eye movement, can provide important clues.
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What Does a Headache Behind the Eyes Feel Like?
Pain behind the eyes can feel different depending on the underlying cause.
You may experience:
- A dull ache behind one or both eyes
- Pressure around the eyes
- Throbbing or pounding pain
- Sharp or stabbing pain
- Pain around the forehead or temples
- Pain that gets worse with movement
- Eye tenderness or discomfort
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurred vision
- Watery or red eyes
Some people describe the sensation as though pressure is building behind the eye. Others may feel that the pain starts in the head and spreads toward the eye.
Because several conditions can produce similar sensations, the accompanying symptoms are important when trying to understand the possible cause.
Why Does My Head Hurt Behind My Eyes?
There are several possible causes of pain behind the eyes. Some are relatively common, while others require evaluation by a healthcare professional.
1. Migraine
Migraine is a common cause of moderate to severe headache and can cause pain around or behind an eye.
Migraine pain may be:
- Throbbing or pounding
- Moderate to severe
- Worse with physical activity
- Associated with nausea or vomiting
- Associated with sensitivity to light or sound
Some people experience visual symptoms before or during a migraine. These can include flashing lights, zigzag patterns, or temporary blind spots.
Migraine symptoms vary from person to person, so not everyone experiences the same combination of symptoms.
If headaches repeatedly occur behind your eyes, keeping track of possible triggers, timing, duration, and associated symptoms can help a healthcare professional identify the pattern.
2. Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches are a type of headache disorder that can cause intense pain on one side of the head, commonly around or behind one eye.
Unlike many other headaches, cluster headaches can occur in repeated attacks over a period of time.
Symptoms may include:
- Severe pain around or behind one eye
- Red or watery eye
- Drooping eyelid
- Runny or stuffy nose on the same side
- Facial sweating
- Restlessness
The pain can be extremely intense and usually occurs on one side.
If you experience severe recurring pain around one eye, especially with eye redness or tearing, medical evaluation can help determine whether cluster headache or another condition may be responsible.
3. Sinus Problems
Sinus inflammation or infection can cause pressure or pain in the face and around the eyes.
A sinus-related headache may feel like a dull ache or pressure behind the eyes, forehead, cheeks, or bridge of the nose.
You may also have:
- Nasal congestion
- Runny nose
- Facial pressure
- Thick nasal drainage
- Reduced sense of smell
- Postnasal drip
- Cough
Sinus-related symptoms are more likely when headache or facial pressure occurs together with nasal and sinus symptoms.
4. Digital Eye Strain
Spending long periods looking at computers, phones, tablets, or other screens can contribute to eye strain and headaches.
You may notice:
- Tired eyes
- Dry eyes
- Blurred vision
- Headache
- Difficulty focusing
- Neck or shoulder discomfort
Long periods of close-up screen use can make your eyes work harder and may contribute to discomfort around the eyes.
Taking regular breaks from screens and allowing your eyes to rest may help when digital eye strain is contributing to your symptoms.
5. Dry Eyes
Dry eyes can cause burning, irritation, gritty sensations, watering, light sensitivity, and discomfort.
When the eyes become irritated or strained, you may also experience a headache or discomfort around the eyes.
Dry eyes can be associated with prolonged screen use, environmental conditions, contact lens use, and other factors.
If eye discomfort continues or becomes painful, an eye-care professional can evaluate the cause.
6. Tension Headache
Tension-type headaches can cause pressure or aching around the forehead and head.
The pain is often described as pressing or tightening rather than strongly throbbing.
Muscle tension, stress, fatigue, and prolonged periods in one position may contribute to headaches.
If headaches are becoming more frequent or interfering with normal activities, discuss them with a healthcare professional.
7. Allergies
Allergies can cause nasal congestion, sinus pressure, watery eyes, and irritation around the eyes.
If allergies cause significant nasal congestion or postnasal drainage, you may also develop pressure or discomfort around the forehead and eyes.
Common allergy symptoms include:
- Sneezing
- Itchy eyes
- Watery eyes
- Runny nose
- Nasal congestion
- Postnasal drip
Eye pain or significant vision changes should not automatically be attributed to allergies and may need medical evaluation.
8. Eye Inflammation or Infection
Pain behind or around the eye can sometimes be related to inflammation or infection involving the eye.
Depending on the condition, you may experience:
- Eye redness
- Eye pain
- Light sensitivity
- Watery eyes
- Discharge
- Blurred vision
- Swelling
- Pain when moving the eye
Eye conditions can have different treatments, so persistent or significant eye pain should be assessed rather than self-diagnosed.
9. Increased Pressure Inside the Eye
Some eye conditions can cause increased pressure within the eye.
A sudden increase in eye pressure can be associated with severe eye pain, headache, blurred vision, halos around lights, nausea, or vomiting.
This type of combination can require urgent medical attention.
10. Optic Nerve or Other Eye Conditions
The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain and can become inflamed in certain conditions.
Some eye-related disorders may cause pain, headache, changes in vision, or discomfort when moving the eye.
Because vision symptoms can have many possible causes, new or unexplained vision changes should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
Why Does My Head Hurt Behind One Eye?
Pain behind one eye can occur with several types of headaches and eye conditions.
Cluster headaches are particularly known for causing severe pain around or behind one eye, often with symptoms such as tearing, redness, or nasal congestion on the same side.
Migraine can also cause pain around one eye, although the overall pattern is usually different.
If pain behind one eye is sudden, severe, recurrent, or accompanied by vision changes, eye redness, nausea, vomiting, or swelling, seek medical evaluation.
