Can Astigmatism Cause Headaches?
If your headaches tend to show up after reading, a day at the computer or a long drive, your eyes may be part of the story. One of the most common eye-related causes we find at Beyond 2020 Vision Specialists in Odessa and Palm Harbor is astigmatism, often alongside a related problem called hidden (latent) farsightedness.
What is astigmatism?
Astigmatism means the front of your eye, the cornea, or the lens inside it is shaped a little more like a football than a basketball. Light focuses unevenly, so vision can be blurry or stretched at every distance. It's very common, and most people have at least a small amount.
How astigmatism leads to headaches
When astigmatism isn't fully corrected, your eyes and brain keep working to sharpen the image. You may squint, tilt your head or lean in without noticing. That constant effort can cause:
- Headaches, often around the forehead or temples
- Tired, aching or burning eyes
- Symptoms that build through the day, especially after reading or screens
- Strain on longer drives, particularly at night
Even a small amount of uncorrected astigmatism can do it, and a prescription that was right a few years ago may no longer be.
Hidden farsightedness: the headache cause that passes the eye chart
With latent hyperopia, a form of farsightedness, your eye's focusing muscle works overtime to cover the problem. You can often read the chart and pass a screening, so it's easy to miss, but that nonstop effort can bring on headaches and tired eyes, especially with close work. It's common in kids and young adults.
The most reliable way to uncover it is an exam with drops that temporarily relax the eye's focusing muscle (cycloplegic drops). Your vision may be blurry and sensitive to light for a few hours afterward, so bring sunglasses and plan for a driver if you need one.
Kids get eye headaches too
Children rarely know their eyes are the problem. Watch for headaches after school or homework, rubbing their eyes, or avoiding reading. Hidden farsightedness is a frequent cause in kids. We see children from 1 year old. Kids' eye exams.
How we fix it
- An accurate prescription. For many people, this alone brings relief.
- Building up astigmatism correction in steps. For moderate to high astigmatism, a big change all at once can feel strange. We may increase your correction over more than one pair so your eyes and brain can adapt comfortably.
- Anti-fatigue lenses, which add a small boost of focusing power in the lower part of the lens to make reading and screens easier.
- Digital free-form single-vision lenses designed with AI, made for your prescription and how your frame sits on your face.
- Treating dry eye when long screen time leaves eyes tired and irritated. Dry eye treatment.
At our Odessa office, most single-vision glasses can be made the same day.
What about blue light glasses?
Many patients try inexpensive blue light glasses from online stores. A blue light filter can help with comfort only when the lens itself is optical quality, with the right lens material, an accurate optical surface and a good anti-glare coating. A filter on a cheap plastic lens can make your eyes work harder. If you want blue light filtering, we'll add it to quality lenses made for your prescription.
When a headache needs emergency care
Most eye-strain headaches are not an emergency. But call 911 or go to the emergency room for a sudden, severe headache, especially with vision loss, double vision, weakness, numbness, confusion, trouble speaking, or severe eye pain with redness and nausea. For sudden changes in vision, see sudden vision changes.
Get to the bottom of your headaches
Headaches have many causes, and an eye exam can find or rule out the eye-related ones. If yours continue, see your primary care doctor too. To book, call Odessa at (813) 926-5993 or East Lake (Palm Harbor) at (727) 242-8388, or read more on our headaches and eye strain page.
Questions from former patients
Can astigmatism cause headaches?
Yes. When astigmatism isn’t fully corrected, your eyes work harder all day to keep things clear, which can cause eye strain and headaches, often building through the day. An accurate prescription usually brings relief.
Can a small amount of astigmatism cause headaches?
Yes. Even a small uncorrected amount can cause squinting, eye strain and headaches in some people, especially with reading, screens or driving.
Can I pass the eye chart and still get headaches from my eyes?
Yes. With hidden (latent) farsightedness, your eyes can focus through the problem and read the chart, but the constant effort can cause headaches. An exam with drops that relax the focusing muscle is the most reliable way to find it.
Why does my new astigmatism prescription feel strange?
Your eyes and brain need time to adapt, especially to a bigger change. For moderate to high astigmatism, we may increase your correction in steps. If a new prescription still bothers you after a week or two, call us.