Many people suffer from headaches behind the eyes. Usually this type of headache occurs because the lens in the eye and cornea are not functioning properly. When the lens and cornea do not work correctly, the image that the eye sees is out of focus. This causes a strain on the muscles of the eye as the person will strain his or her eyes to see clearly. However, all that happens is a headache behind the eyes. Other reasons for this type of headache are problems with the nerves and/or blood vessels of the eyes.
You can also get this type of headache due to lack of sleep and stress. However, if the person takes adequate rest, the headache will disappear.
The physiological causes for headache behind the eyes are certain eye disorders like astigmatism, presbyopia, long sightedness and cluster headache.
Astigmatism is a condition where the retina of the eye is not shaped correctly. As a result, from certain angles, images appear hazy and indistinct. To see clearly, the person starts squinting and puts strain on the eye muscles leading to a severe headache.
Presbyopia occurs due to aging when the lens in the eye loses its flexibility. As a result objects that are closely by appear indistinct. You can also suffer from presbyopia when your eyes are extremely fatigued and tired.
Long sightedness, medically termed as hyperopia, is a condition where close objects appear unfocused, while distant objects are clear. The reason for this is that the light entering the eyes falls behind the retina rather than directly on it. As a result near object appear unclear and blurred, while distant object appear clear and sharp. When you are suffering from hyperopia, constant straining to view near objects closely leads to headaches behind the eyes.
The exact cause of cluster headaches is not known, but suffers claim that the pain is extremely excruciating and unbearable. Usually the headaches come on one side of the head, just behind the eye. The person experiences stabling pain behind the eye and it can last for an hour. Like this, the person will get many episodes for weeks together.
These headaches can be tackled effectively through massage therapy, acupuncture and/or use of prescription drugs. Also, doing yoga to de-stress the body is found to be an effective way to handle these headaches.