Eye headaches
Contrary to popular belief, improperly focusing eyes, in need of glasses for correct refraction, do not often cause headaches. It is true that headaches may result from some eye diseases, but the widespread belief that many recurring headaches are preveritable with glasses, is incorrect. In the absence of obvious eye disease, such as redness, soreness, infection or injury, only a few eye diseases such as glaucoma remain to cause headaches. However, because of these rare possibilities, a person with unexplained headaches should always have the benefit of an eye examination to settle any doubt.
Glaucoma headache
Glaucoma headache, beginning about the eyes and spreading into a general headache, is very serious and can be very painful. Glaucoma eye pain is caused by an increase in pressure in the eyeball itself and is serious, not because of pain, but because blindness may follow unless the condition is corrected. Glaucoma, rarely found under the age of thirty-five, increases greatly after the age of forty-five. It appears to be an inherited disease and occurs in families with several members possibly having this same trouble. The inherited factors, however, may be contained in our emotional make-up, because people who develop glaucoma also have easily excitable emotions, often a family trait.
As in so many other headaches, glaucoma and its head pain, often results from a disagreeable mental experience, such as frustration, fear, resentment, etc. In this headache, the pain is excruciating and the eye itself feels hard to the touch. Chronic or long-standing glaucoma presents a similar picture but the pain is not so severe. A dull aching is present over the eyes, and in susceptible people this leads to headache of variable degree.
Sinus headache
Sinus inflammation is often thought to be the cause of frequent recurring headaches, but this is only rarely correct. Less than one headache out of twenty can be traced to sinus difficulties.
Sinus headaches usually begin with a fast developing infection in one or more sinuses, such as might follow a sudden severe cold. They are usually accompanied by a clogged nose, and a localized soreness over the sinus involved. The pain of sinus difficulty grows suddenly much worse when the surrounding air pressure is lessened or increased greatly. Thus rapid ascent or descent in airplanes or tall building elevators, may bring about excruciating pain.
Application of heat to the face, and aspirin have long been the relief of sinus sufferers but correction of certain nose difficulties by a physician often ends the sinus difficulty permanently.