Unpleasant sensations and pain in the head and eyes are familiar to everyone. This condition often only indicates overfatigue of the visual analyzer, especially during prolonged work at the computer. Therefore, when the eyes hurt when the pupils move, and a person feels dry, as if sand had gotten into them, at the first stage it is necessary to give the eyes a rest (especially if you feel pain in the eyes when working at the computer or reading). However, if this does not help, then it is necessary to exclude pathological processes that manifest themselves with similar symptoms from the visual analyzer. It can be:
- 1. Increased intraocular pressure. In this case, a person most often feels that the eye hurts inside. This condition can be transient and accompany, for example, migraine or brain pathology, or it can be permanent and lead to gradual retinal detachment associated with glaucoma. In this case, the eyeball becomes rocky when palpated.
- 2. Infectious diseases of the eyes, brain and intoxication. Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye - conjunctivitis - is a common cause of pain when blinking and at rest. Pain in the orbit that occurs when moving the eyes indicates that the eye muscles and nerves are involved in the inflammatory process. This situation can occur both during intoxication due to common flu or acute respiratory infections, and during such serious diseases as meningitis, encephalitis, etc. Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis or sinusitis) can cause pain in the nose and eyes. With the development of complicated forms of these diseases, pus can penetrate into the orbital cavity.
- 3. Trauma to the eyeball, head and facial skull can lead to pain in the orbits and eyes. The reason is direct mechanical impact or the entry of foreign objects into the visual analyzer. A concussion may also cause pain in the forehead or temple when moving the eyes.
- 4. Diseases of the eye appendages. A number of diseases can lead not to an eye problem, but to inflammation of the lacrimal glands (dacryocystitis) or eyelids (maybeitis).
What to do if you have a headache when you move your eyes?
Headache when moving the eyes and at rest (whether it is pain in the eyes when reading or working on a computer) is an extremely unpleasant condition for a person. Therefore, it is urgent to take a painkiller from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The next step in helping a person is to see a doctor. If there are signs of a general infectious disease (flu, acute respiratory infections), then a general practitioner will be able to provide adequate medical care. In other cases, consultation with an ophthalmologist and often a neurologist is necessary. If the cause of pain in the eye is a foreign object or injury, in no case should you rub your eyes or try to reach such an object directly with your fingers. It is necessary to rinse your eyes generously with clean water. If this does not produce results, seek medical help immediately.
Spasm of accommodation of the eye - what is it?
The accommodative apparatus of the eye consists of the lens, the ligament of cinnamon and the ciliary muscle. These eye structures are responsible for focusing at different distances. When looking at nearby objects, a person's ciliary muscle tenses. The ligament of Zinn is relaxed. Due to this, the lens changes its shape. When the focus is transferred to a distant object, the ciliary muscle relaxes, and the ligament of Zinn comes into a state of tension. The lens bends again, changing its refractive power. Thanks to the operation of this mechanism, a person can see well at close, intermediate and distant distances. A spasm occurs when the ciliary muscle does not relax when looking at objects located further from the person’s outstretched arm. The lens remains in the same position as when viewing nearby objects. Because of this, the visible picture is blurred. Due to the fact that in this condition a person has poor distance vision, the spasm of accommodation is also called “false myopia.”
Spasm of accommodation is not an ophthalmological disease. This is a functional vision disorder. If no measures are taken, the spasm will occur more and more often. Ultimately, this can lead to the development of various ophthalmopathologies.
If a spasm of accommodation occurs due to existing myopia, its degree may increase.
Treatment for eye movement disorders
There are many reasons why the eyes hurt and there is a violation of their movement. However, this combination of symptoms indicates a severe pathology, where self-medication is inappropriate. Disorders of eye movements occur most often due to neurological pathology (diseases of the cranial nerves or circulatory disorders in the brain). An infectious process in the orbit can lead to a temporary disturbance in movement and a condition where the eye muscles hurt when moving upward (most often, such symptoms are observed with inflammation in the lower fornix of the orbit). Treatment of eye movement disorders can only be carried out by an ophthalmologist in joint consultation with related specialists (neurologists, neurosurgeons). If pain in the eye when moving the eyeball haunts you, contact the Neuro-Med clinic for help. Our specialists will advise you in detail on all issues, as well as prescribe suitable treatment.
How can you relieve a spasm of accommodation?
Treatment for this disorder is the same in children and adults.
There are several ways to relieve spasm: hardware treatment, using drops, doing eye exercises.
Physiotherapy helps improve blood circulation, which ensures adequate oxygen supply to the eye tissues. In addition, hardware therapy helps strengthen the eye muscles and tone them. Typically, procedures such as electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, laser therapy, and electrical stimulation are prescribed. Some clinics practice acupuncture. Hardware treatment courses are prescribed. Their duration is determined by the ophthalmologist. Usually it is 7-10 days. You can treat it at home with other methods, such as eye drops.
Common causes of headaches behind the eyeballs
Migraine
Migraine headache is the most common type of disabling headache. This is an intermittent headache that lasts up to 72 hours and often causes severe throbbing pain on one side of the head and behind the eye. Migraine headaches can also spread to the back of the head.
Other typical migraine symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, smells, and sounds.
“The term 'migraine' comes from the word megrim, which means 'headache accompanied by nausea.' During a migraine attack, people feel nauseous,” Fr.
Visual disturbances, such as flashing lights or halos around lights, called a migraine aura, may precede a headache, but most migraine sufferers do not experience a migraine aura.
There are many factors that trigger a migraine attack. These include fatigue, emotional stress, too little or too much sleep, skipping meals, bright or flickering lights, strong odors, loud noises, certain foods, and changes in temperature and humidity.
The development of migraine also appears to be influenced by genetic factors, as 70% of migraine sufferers report at least one close relative with a history of migraine.
Migraine diagnosed early can be successfully treated without prescription painkillers, but some available prescription medications can be used to both prevent and reduce attacks and relieve acute migraine headaches.
Chronic migraines may need to be taken daily to treat chronic migraines and prevent headaches behind the eyes.
Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches are characterized by multiple, frequent, short, and extremely painful headache attacks. These periods of cluster pain can last for weeks or months, followed by a period of remission where the headache does not occur for months or years.
This type of headache usually appears quite quickly, sometimes with an aura, and can last up to three hours. Symptoms include excruciating pain (often a headache behind one eyeball) that can spread to other parts of the face, head and neck, redness and swelling of the eyes, and excessive watery eyes.
It is believed that the cause of cluster headaches may be disorders in the hypothalamus (a part of the brain that controls many vital functions of the body). To date, there are no established mechanisms of occurrence and methods for permanent elimination of cluster pain behind the eyeballs.
Treatment for this type of pain focuses on reducing the severity of the pain, shortening the duration of pain, and preventing future attacks. Some of the most popular treatments are oxygen therapy, triptan injections and local anesthetics.
Sinus infections
The sinuses are air-filled cavities in the facial bones. They are located deep in the nose, inside the forehead and cheeks, and behind the eyeballs. A sinus infection (sinusitis) is a common cause of pain, including headaches behind the eyes.
Migraine headaches are often misdiagnosed as headaches caused by sinusitis. Treatment for headaches caused by sinusitis involves treating the underlying infection with prescription antibiotics and decongestants.
Asthenopia - symptoms and treatment
The doctor develops a comprehensive treatment strategy based on the patient’s individual indications and the stage of development of the disorder:
- In the compensation phase, in the absence of pathological changes, patients are recommended to give their eyes the necessary rest during visual stress: every 35-45 minutes, take a break for 15-20 minutes;
- In the subcompensation phase, patients are prescribed hardware treatment - laser stimulation to stabilize the work of the ciliary muscle, the use of a special synoptophore instrument for training the eye muscles, and therapeutic glasses. Glasses will help you get rid of the consequences of accommodative spasms and select the right tools for optical correction of myopia and farsightedness.
- In the decompensation phase, more serious measures will be required: the choice of glasses or contact lenses and eye drops. Drops for asthenopia:
- mydriatics - to relax the muscles responsible for contraction and dilation of the pupil;
- drops with antibacterial and antihistamine effects - used for infectious diseases of the eye;
- tear drops - for severe dryness of the mucous membranes;
- keratoprotectors - in the presence of microtraumas of the cornea.
When using drops, it is important to know that they differ in composition and properties. The dosage and duration of therapy must be observed. Some drops have no restrictions on the duration of use, others are addictive. Medicines for asthenopia are selected by an ophthalmologist.
When treating asthenopia, it is important to consider the main points:
- the correct choice of means of correcting visual impairment (glasses or contact lenses);
- eye drops to reduce the tone of the ciliary muscle and eliminate spasm of accommodation, use one drop every day or every other day at night for a month;
- proper nutrition containing sufficient amounts of vitamins;
- compliance with the work and rest regime.
Vitamins and traditional treatment
The benefits of taking vitamin complexes for asthenopia have not been proven. It is likely that symptoms of eye strain can be alleviated by taking blueberry extract and fish oil, but further research into the effectiveness of these products is needed [12].
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a type of alternative medicine; there is no scientifically proven evidence of its effectiveness.
Physiotherapeutic treatment
To train accommodation reserves, hardware treatment methods are used: laser stimulation, color pulse therapy, magnetic therapy, electrical stimulation. However, there is no clear opinion about the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic treatment in the medical community.
Surgery
There is no surgical treatment for asthenopia.
Features of treatment depending on the form of the disease
In the case of symptomatic asthenopia, correction is carried out simultaneously with the treatment of underlying concomitant diseases. Treatment of the muscular form of ocular asthenopia begins with the elimination of strabismus (using orthoptics, diploptics) and correction of myopia. In the asthenic form, the cause should be determined and eliminated, the immune system should be strengthened, work and rest regime should be observed, and nutrition should be nutritious. The neurogenic form is treated by a neurologist.
Treatment of asthenopia takes a long time. When treating children, preventive measures and limiting visual load are of particular importance.
To relax the eye muscles, special daily exercises are performed. A set of eye exercises is chosen by an ophthalmologist based on the form of asthenopia.
Set of exercises
People whose activities regularly involve eye strain are recommended to do the following exercises daily:
Exercise 1. Closing your eyes. While sitting, close your eyes for five seconds, then open both eyes at the same time. Repeat seven times. Taking it will help relax the eye muscles, strengthen the muscles of the eyelids and normalize blood circulation.
Exercise 2. Blinking. While sitting, look straight ahead and blink intensely for a minute. Exercise normalizes blood supply to the eyes.
Exercise 3. Moving your gaze . Performed while standing. Look into the distance for a few seconds, then bring your index finger to your face at a distance of thirty centimeters from your eyes. Move your gaze to the tip of your finger and hold for five seconds. Lower your hand. Repeat ten times.
Exercise 4. Eyelid massage. Take a comfortable position on a chair, close your eyes and gently massage your eyelids with your fingertips. When massaging the upper eyelid, they move from the inside out, the lower eyelid - in the opposite direction. Perform for one minute. The procedure relaxes muscles and stimulates blood circulation.
Exercise 5. Alternating eye exercises. While standing, place your index finger at a distance of thirty centimeters from the eyes along the midline. Look closely at the tip of your finger for five seconds. Then, with the palm of your second hand, close your left eye, without taking your eyes off the object with your right eye. Then remove your palm and look at your finger for five seconds. Repeat the manipulation with the other eye. Repeat five times.
Exercise 6. Horizontal eye movements. Stand up and move your right hand to the side in a half-bent position, extending your index finger. Slowly move your hand to the side in the opposite direction, while carefully watching your finger. Then return your hand to its original position without taking your eyes off it. Do it ten times. Exercise helps strengthen the muscles responsible for horizontal eye movement.
Exercise 7. Pressing on the eyelids. Sitting on a chair, place three fingers on your closed eyes. Gently press on your eyelids for two seconds, then remove your hands. Repeat five times. Taking it helps improve the circulation of intraocular fluid.
Exercise 8. Fixation of gaze. Take a comfortable position on a chair and unfocus your gaze for five seconds, then move it to the tip of your nose. Repeat six times. Exercise improves the ability to keep your gaze on objects.
Exercise 9. Vertical eye movements. While standing, raise your half-bent arm up and extend your index finger. Fix your gaze on it and slowly move your hand down, then return to the starting position. Do it ten times. The technique strengthens the muscles responsible for the vertical movement of the eyeballs and trains the coordination of the visual apparatus.
Exercise 10. Circular movements. Sitting, the head is motionless. Raise your eyes up and move clockwise, and then in the opposite direction. Repeat five times.
Exercise 11. Movements in different directions. Standing, head motionless. Raise your gaze as high as possible, then lower your gaze. Look left and right. Repeat eight times. The exercise trains the visual apparatus.
Exercise 12. Static voltage. Sitting, the head is motionless. Close your eyelids and look up, then down, turn right and left. Do six times [4][3].
Why is a spasm of accommodation dangerous?
As noted earlier, this vision disorder can lead to the development of myopia or worsen its degree if it already exists. Also, a spasm of accommodation can cause asthenopia - increased eye fatigue. It will be quite difficult to work or study. Adults' productivity declines, and children's school performance declines. With the development of symptoms of asthenopia - burning in the eyes, dryness, lacrimation - the risk of microbes getting on the eyelids and conjunctiva increases when a person rubs his eyes with his hands. Because of this, conjunctivitis, keratitis, blepharitis and other infectious diseases occur.
To prevent spasm of accommodation, you should adhere to the following rules:
- visit an ophthalmologist at least once a year and start treating eye diseases on time;
- when working at a computer, take breaks every 30-40 minutes;
- perform special eye exercises several times a day;
- spend more time in the fresh air and play sports;
- take eye vitamins.
Dietary supplements can also be used as a preventive measure. They contain elements necessary for the organs of vision.
Dietary supplements are sold without a prescription and have no contraindications. Popular additives are “Blueberry Forte”, “Doppelhertz Active”, “Okuwait Lutein Forte”, “Lutein-complex for children”. Before purchasing, get tested to know exactly what elements your body is missing.
Treatment
Before prescribing treatment, the ophthalmologist will conduct an examination and make a diagnosis. As a rule, the main stages are measuring intraocular pressure, examining the fundus, and examining with a slit lamp. This set of examinations allows you to identify the main and most common eye diseases.
In the case of glaucoma, special medications will need to be dripped into the eyes to reduce intraocular pressure. In most cases, you will need to prepare for surgery - glaucoma does not respond to conservative treatment.
If the pain is caused by an inflammatory disease, then you will need to identify the pathogen and start taking appropriate medications: antibacterial or antiviral.
Treatment for pain caused by fatigue involves following basic visual hygiene recommendations. The patient will have to be more attentive to his health. This pathology is most often found among office workers, and it has even been called visual fatigue syndrome. An ophthalmologist may prescribe eye exercises and recommend coming for preventive examinations.
Gymnastics for the eyes during spasm of accommodation
Eye exercises will only be effective if you do them daily. They help normalize blood circulation, relax and strengthen the eye muscles, and increase visual acuity.
A set of exercises is prescribed by a doctor, although they are performed at home or right at the workplace. There are a lot of techniques. So, for myopia and farsightedness, different exercises can be prescribed.
There are also more universal methods. Typically, eye exercises are performed as follows:
- move your eyes left, right, up, down;
- draw circles with your eyeballs clockwise and then counterclockwise;
- close your eyes and open your eyes wide, repeat this exercise several times, then blink for 20-30 seconds;
- move your eyes from left to right diagonally;
- put your hand forward with your finger pointed up and focus on the tip, bringing it closer to the bridge of your nose and returning it to its original position.
In addition to exercise, it is recommended to massage the eyes. It is performed with your fingertips in light circular movements over closed eyelids. If you work at a computer, read a lot, you need to do gymnastics 3 times a day.
