Blog Hero

Your Eye Pain May Signal Health Problems Not Related to the Eye

Book Appointment

Our eyes have a natural ability of signaling general or complicated health problems that could have taken form inside of us. In reality, the onset of many diseases can be detected through the overall appearance and well-being of our eyes.

This is why paying attention to the changes in your eyesight and a persistent eye pain can help us to identify potentially harmful diseases and seek immediate treatment. In light of this, these are a few diseases that your eye pain may be indicating.

Psoriasis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

A few cases of redness and eye pain can be due to uveitis; which is the inflammation within the eye. However, it can also indicate inflammation in several other parts of your body.

The symptoms flare up if the immune system begins to attack its own tissues, which suggest other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. If you have been waking up with bloodshot eyes for more than a week; your body may be undergoing some serious inflammation issues.

Migraine

People who are prone to migraines are likely to suffer from a large number of symptoms including eye pain. If your eye pain is accompanied by neck stiffness then this could mean you are about to experience a migraine attack.

Troubled Nervous System and other Diseases

Our eyes also offer early clues about disorders such as multiple sclerosis. This is due to an inflammation in the optic nerve, referred to as optical neuritis. The optic nerve sits at the back of the eye and is responsible of transmitting everything that you see, in great detail, to your brain.

The optic nerve is also a part of the central nervous system that is affected by multiple sclerosis. Pain and blurred vision can point out a troubled nervous system. Moreover, optic nerve inflammation can also takes place due to diseases such as measles, mumps, herpes, shingles and lyme disease.

Thyroid eye disease

Excessive tearing and pain, dryness, redness or overall discomfort in the eye means you could be suffering from thyroid eye disease. Also termed as the Thyroid eye disease (TED), they symptoms are due to the thyroid hormones that the thyroid gland produces in the neck. If you have a pain or ache behind the eyes, particularly when you are trying to look sideways or in the upwards, this could be signaling thyroid eye disease.

 

Leukemia and Brain aneurysm

Bulging eyes can be painful and will strain your eyes, leading to headaches. Apart from the TED, painful and bulging eyes may also indicate other serious medical conditions such as various types of cancers.

Moreover, it is rare to develop a brain aneurysm; people who are over 40 years of age are more at risk of developing a cerebral aneurysm. Patients who have a family history or have suffered from head injuries in the past should be careful of symptoms such as regular headaches or eye pain.

If you are regularly experiencing pain behind the eyes or headaches between the eyes and have a history of high blood pressure, notify your doctor immediately.

Final Thoughts

A nutritional diet can treat various symptoms of eye pain and lower triglyceride and blood pressure levels. Antioxidants help to reduce inflammation and anxiety levels that cause headaches and eye pain. Regular eye check-ups protect your vision and eye health. They also help to detect other diseases before they cause significant damage.

Written by Total Focus

At Total Focus Optometry, we’ve spent the last 70 years building meaningful relationships with our patients and their families. From routine eye exams to contact lens fittings we offer our patients a variety of services to meet their eye care needs.

More Articles By Total Focus
instagram facebook facebook2 pinterest twitter google-plus google linkedin2 yelp youtube phone location calendar share2 link star-full star star-half chevron-right chevron-left chevron-down chevron-up envelope fax