Are Your Contacts Responsible For Your Headaches?

Most people love the convenience and crisp vision contact lenses provide, but some may suspect them to be the cause behind unwelcome headaches. Asking your eye-care professional for specific cases where contact lenses have had something to do with headaches experienced by patients will provide adequate information, but for those who don’t have the time, here are a couple of possible causes for headaches related to contact lenses:

Although rare, one reason may be an incorrect prescription, AllAboutVision notes in an article. Sometimes basic errors occur leaving you with lenses that are too strong or too weak. This often results in eye strain and subsequent headaches. Once your doctor has established the mistake, a replacement prescription should take care of the problem.

Dry eyes can also be responsible for headaches and such a condition can in turn be attributable to poorly fitting contacts. Dry eyes lead to discomfort; the condition increases sensitivity to light and forces lens wearers to squint, triggering a muscle tension headache.

Sometimes the problem can be linked to the so-called computer vision syndrome (CVS). This affects people who spend long hours working on a computer and staring at a screen. Contact lens wear does not in itself lift the risk of CVS but prolonged exposure to a computer could dry lenses out. CVS is typically characterised by eye strain and headaches, so make sure you let your eye doctor know if your work involves prolonged computer use.

Your headaches may also be the result of a sinus congestion or infection. Sinus pain is often mistakenly attributed to eye problems because the sinuses are found around and behind the eyes.