Most people experience dry eyes—that gritty, sandpaper-like feeling beneath your eyelids every time you blink—at some point in their lives. Most people also experience headaches of some kind in their lives. You might even experience both dry eyes and a headache at the same time. But do dry eyes actually cause headaches?
The research suggests that no, dry eyes do not directly cause headaches. However, there are several common situations where dry eyes and headaches have the same root cause—and that’s good news. The team at Verona Vision Care is here to explain.
What Causes Dry Eyes?
Dry eyes are fundamentally caused by your tears evaporating too fast to keep your eyes hydrated. This can happen for one of two reasons: your body isn’t producing enough tears (also called aqueous deficient dry eye) to keep your eyes hydrated, or your body produces tears normally but the environment is so harsh that evaporation overwhelms your normal tear production (also called evaporative dry eye).
Causes of Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye
Tears aren’t just drops of water. Your eye is protected by a tear film, which consists of three layers: a mucin layer, a water layer, and an oil layer. If those layers aren’t produced in the right proportion, the tear layer won’t form properly, and your eyes will dry out.
Here are some of the factors that might limit your tear production:
- Dehydration is a common cause of aqueous deficient dry eye. “Aqueous” means “from water”, and if your body doesn’t get enough water, it can’t produce tears properly.
- Meibomian gland dysfunction is another common cause of dry eye. The meibomian glands are glands along the edge of the eyelid that produce the oily layer of your eye’s tear film. These glands can become plugged and stop secreting the oils your body uses to produce the tear later.
- Disorders like Sjögren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes can cause dry eyes.
- Certain prescription medications, like diuretics (which force water out of your body) and allergy medications, can cause dry eyes.
- Other personal factors, like age and gender.
Causes of Evaporative Dry Eye
In extremely dry or otherwise severe environments, your normal tear production might not be enough to keep up with how fast your tears evaporate. Some possible causes of evaporative dry eye syndrome are:
- Not blinking often enough for your eyelids to lubricate your eyes will cause your eyes to dry out more quickly. This is closely related to digital eye strain.
- Very dry climates will naturally draw moisture away from your eyes the same way they do from your skin.
- Wind, whether natural or artificial (such as having an air conditioner, fan, or space heater blowing directly on you), will dry your eyes out by carrying moisture away with the air flow.
- Pollutants in the air, like allergens, dust, or smoke, are made up of tiny particles that will absorb moisture from the surface of your eyes.
- Wearing contacts for long periods of time can disrupt the structure of your eye’s tear film, causing it to evaporate more quickly.
Do Dry Eyes Cause Headaches?
Despite extensive studies, there is little evidence to suggest that dry eyes directly cause headaches. Having dry eyes doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll get a headache as a result.
However, it’s very likely that there’s a connection between dry eyes and headaches. Dry eyes and headaches are often both symptoms of the same medical condition. Digital eye strain causes both dry eyes and headaches. Dehydration can also cause both dry eyes and headaches. Research has suggested that migraine sufferers are more likely to suffer from dry eyes than non-migraine sufferers.
How to Prevent and Treat Dry Eyes and Headaches
The good news is that when dry eyes and headaches have the same root cause, treating that root cause will help with both the dry eyes and the headache! Here are a few simple tips to stop the problems at their source.
- Rest Your Eyes: Eye strain can lead to both dry eyes and headaches. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at an object at least 20 feet away. This will help reduce eye strain by giving you a chance to blink more frequently and letting your eye muscles relax, helping to prevent tension headaches.
- Drink Enough Water: Dehydration can cause both dry eyes and headaches. Making sure you have enough water every day will help to stave off both of those problems.
- See an Optometrist: In some cases, dry eyes and headaches together can be symptoms of an underlying eye disease. If at-home treatments don’t help, visit an optometrist to rule out any serious problems.
Look Beyond Dry Eyes and Headaches
At Verona Vision Care, we understand the impact that conditions like dry eyes and headaches can have on your quality of life. If you’re suffering from dry eyes and are concerned that they’re linked to other health problems, book an appointment to see how our team can help.
