Eye Strain is an umbrella term that denotes a number of symptoms that relate to the extended use of eyes as well as discomfort that may come from excessive smartphone and computer use. This condition may or may not lead to significant eye damage and is usually characterised by blurry vision, headaches and a feeling of dryness in the eye as you blink less which creates less tears. This may happen due to the extended use of the eye when you are following objects on a screen or staring at a screen for too long. So, is eye strain the cause of your headaches? 

Find out more in this article.

Causes: Eye Strain or Asthenopia is caused by concentrating on visually intense tasks like reading from texts that have a fine print, the use of computers and other screens for prolonged periods, and trying to focus on objects in the dark. This can lead to distress of the muscles in this area which can also cause eye strain leading to a variety of symptoms including double imagery and even headaches and mild migraine like conditions.

Eye Muscle Imbalance: When there is eye strain which leads to headaches, it can also give rise to eye muscle imbalance which makes it difficult to concentrate with both eyes at the same time. In such cases, one may need bifocal glasses so as to fix the issue and prevent such debilitating headaches to remain on a persistent basis.

Diagnosis: Digital eye fatigue and ocular eye strain leading to headaches can be diagnosed by a doctor with the help of regular eye examinations. In any case, one should have the eyes checked at least once a year. This is especially important if your job involves sitting in front of the computer screen for prolonged hours.

Symptoms: There are a variety of symptoms of these headaches that are caused by eye strain. Apart from blurry vision which does not allow the patient to see properly and clearly without glasses, it can also cause headaches with symptoms like nausea and sensitivity to light. Retinal or eye migraines do not necessarily have to come with headaches, but the pressure can be painful enough.

Treatment: To begin with, the best form of treatment for headaches born from eye strain includes prevention which can be done by getting plenty of rest and sleep even as we limit the hours spent in front of the screen. One can also lower the resolution of the screen and make it more ambient. Also, the screen should be placed at a considerable distance from the eyes. The doctor can also prescribe glasses and eye drops for better eye lubrication.

Headache - Can Eyestrain Be the Reason Behind it?

Headache is a pain in any part of the head, including the scalp, upper neck, face (including the eye area).

A primary headache is caused by problems with or overactivity of pain-sensitive structures in your head. A primary headache isn't a symptom of an underlying disease.

What are the causes and triggers?

The three most common causes of a primary headache are:

Cluster headache
Tension-type headache
Migraine
Some primary headaches can be triggered by lifestyle factors, including:

Alcohol, particularly red wine
Certain foods, such as processed meats that contain nitrates
Changes in sleep or lack of sleep
Poor posture
Skipped meals
Stress
Doctors focus on determining whether a headache has another cause. They also check for symptoms suggesting that a headache is caused by a serious disorder. If no cause is identified, they focus on identifying which type of a headache is present.

Tips that could help before seeking consultation:

Try to keep stress in check. Stay organized and prepared to minimize stressful situations. Have some fun, and don't overdo it at work.
Try incorporating meditation or yoga in your daily regime
Apply a heating pad, hot water bottle or warm compress to aching muscles. Or take a hot shower.
Apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel to the neck.
Practice good posture to ease muscle strain. While standing, keep shoulders back and head level, buttocks and abdomen pulled in. While sitting, keep your head straight and thighs parallel to the floor.
When to seek consultation?

In people with headaches, certain characteristics are cause for concern; these people should immediately seek medical consultation:

It occurs more frequently than usual
Are more severe than usual
Worsen or don't improve with appropriate use of over-the-counter drugs
Prevent you from working, sleeping or participating in normal activities
Headaches that cause you distress, and you would like to find treatment options that enable you to control them better
Tenderness at the temple (as when combing hair) or jaw pain when chewing
The presence of cancer or a disorder that weakens the immune system
Use of a drug that suppresses the immune system
Red eyes and halos seen around lights
If you are experiencing certain other symptoms like- headaches that increase in frequency or severity, headaches that begin after age 50, worsening vision, weight loss
A headache can be a symptom of a serious condition, such as a stroke, meningitis or encephalitis. Go to a hospital emergency room or your local emergency number if you have the worst headache of your life, a sudden, severe headache or a headache accompanied by:   

Confusion or trouble understanding speech
Fainting, drowsiness, confusion
High fever, greater than 102 f to 104 f (39 c to 40 c)
Numbness, weakness or paralysis on one side of your body
Stiff neck
Trouble seeing, speaking or walking
Nausea or vomiting (if not clearly related to the flu or a hangover)
If people with none of the above symptoms or characteristics start having headaches that are different from any they have had before or if their usual headaches become unusually severe, they should call their doctor.

Doctors can usually determine the type or cause of headaches based on the medical history, symptoms, and results of a physical examination. Depending on their other symptoms, the doctor may advise taking an analgesic or ask them to come for an evaluation.

Headache - Certain facts one should know

Headaches are one of the most common symptoms experienced by most people. While a headache is not a disease per se, it is a manifestation of some underlying disease and can affect the quality of life. The underlying cause could range from something as innocuous as a hunger headache to a slightly more severe one like migraines to underlying neurological and vascular conditions like temporal arteritis. Common forms including a sinus headache, tension headache, cluster headaches, and migraines.

Ayurveda believes that the body goes through disease if there is an imbalance in one of the key components of the body, Vata, pitta, and Kapha. Restoring the balance will take care of not just the symptom but restore overall body health. Relief, therefore, is longer lasting with Ayurvedic solutions. Depending on the type of a headache, the imbalance varies, and treatment would differ and is aimed at restoring the lost balance.

Massage: Using natural oils like peppermint oil, lavender oil, or castor oil to massage the forehead or the temples can produce great relief. This also causes improved circulation and nerve stimulation, leading to pain relief.

Add substances that produce cold like khus khus, buttermilk, ghee, and coconut water. Try castol oil and shikakai for hair wash and see a headache vanish.
A mixture of green tea with a lemon squeezed in is one of the quickest reliever for a headache.
A paste or lemon rind that is applied externally on the forehead and temples also provides relief from a headache and a soothing effect for the affected individual.
A paste of cinnamon mixed with any essential oil or plain water can also be applied on the forehead and/or temple region for relief from the pain.
Watermelon juice with sugar reduces the heat produced by the body and relieves a headache.
Crush some ginger, add it to water, and bring it to a boil. This contains a lot of oils from the ginger, which is very soothing for the stomach. This has pain relieving properties and helps in relieving headaches.
A glass of warm water with honey in the morning on a daily basis takes care of chronic headaches. It is advisable to drink this on an empty stomach daily.
In addition to the above remedies to relieve the headache, the following measures should be followed for prevention and/or reducing the frequency of headaches.

Diet: Eating right by avoiding headache-inducing substances like cheese, chocolates, eggs, etc. On the other hand, going hungry can lead to hunger headaches.
Exercise: The neck, shoulders, and scalp should be eased frequently through regular exercise. This also improves blood flow, thereby reducing headaches.
Try these measures and see your headache disappear.

Recurrent Headache - How It Can Be Treated Through Ayurveda?

Headache or cephalgia, though is not a serious disease, but the condition has become a part of our daily life for most most of us. Homeopathy form of medicine classifies the headache into two major types i.e. primary headache and secondary headache. Sinusitis, excessive stress and strain to spinal cord or neck due to improper posturing are the major cause for primary headaches. 

Secondary headaches are just the warning signal of any other serious pathological disease condition in our body. It might be because of any trauma in head, craniotomy surgeries, and compression of nerve endings because of growing tumour in neck or brain.

Homeopathy is an ancient form of medicine which identifies the exact cause of headache for the person and treats accordingly. Thus, the treatment modalities change from one individual to the other.

Homeopathic medicines for headache:
Belladonna, Pulsatilla, Nux vomica, Bryonia, Gelsemium,iris, Sanguinaria and spigelia are the commonly used homeopathic medicine to treat any type of headache even if it is migraine.

Homeopathy also advices certain self care remedies to relieve headache

Exercises and massage: Doing exercises and massages improve the circulation and thereby relieve the headache.
Proper posturing: Identify the postures that causes excessive muscle contraction and strain to the neck and spinal cord. Maintaining good posture helps in relieving headache because of muscle contractions.
Rest: Headache indicates that your body is lacking adequate rest. Relax and sleep to relieve headache is the best natural way to calm your body from stress.
Eat small frequent meals: Headache sometimes may also occur as a result of low glucose level so split your meals and have as small frequent feeds. Include foods such as spinach, olive oil and tofu or pumpkin seeds for person who get headache as a result of hypoglycaemic effect.
Cold compress: Applying ice pack over your forehead helps in relieving the nagging type of headache.
Stay hydrated : Dehydration is the main cause of headache so have frequent sips of water to maintain the hydration status.

Headache - Homeopathy Is the Perfect Cure!

5 Effective Home Cures for Headache Relief

A common complaint, painful headaches (including migraine), can be really bothersome and cause serious disruptions in your daily routine. Even though over-the-counter medicines can help, you can’t ignore the side effects they can potentially have on your body.

So, instead of popping pills to stem off the pain, why not try these simple and effective home remedies for a change? Moreover, apart from offering you respite from a headache, you can be sure that these remedies will cause no side effects whatsoever. Here are some of the tried and tested remedies for you to use at home.

1. Eat almonds

A natural remedy to cure a headache could be consuming nutritious almonds. Almonds contain a natural pain relieving agent called salicin, which helps in easing the pain. Furthermore, their high magnesium content aids in reducing nerve excitability while relaxing the muscles, thereby decreasing the incidence of headaches caused by anxiety and stress. Ideally, you should have about 10-12 almonds every day for preventing as well as alleviating headaches. So, munch on some almonds the next time you get a headache.

2. Try ginger juice or ginger paste

To get instant relief, you could also turn to ginger for help. Ginger eases headache by bringing down the swelling of the blood vessels in your head. You can have ginger in more ways than one.
You can try mixing lemon juice and ginger juice in equal parts and then drinking the juice once or twice daily to cure headaches. Alternatively, you can apply a paste made of ginger powder and 2 tablespoons of water on the affected area (temple or forehead) for fast and instant relief.

3. Make a paste of cinnamon sticks

Pound some cinnamon sticks into a fine powder and make a thick paste out of it by adding some water. Once done, apply the paste on your temples and forehead, and wash it off after 30 minutes using only lukewarm water.

4. Opt for clove oil or clove inhalant

Due to their pain-relieving and cooling qualities, cloves are highly effective in providing you relief from throbbing headaches.
For treating your headaches, all you need is a handkerchief containing crushed cloves for inhalation from time to time. Alternatively, you could massage your temples and forehead with clove oil.

5. Have basil tea

Possessing pain-relieving benefits, the wonder herb, basil, is another easily available home remedy for treating headaches. Basil is very effective in curing headaches that arise from stiff muscles and tension. You can cure headaches by having a soothing cup of basil tea. To make the tea, boil one cup of water into which you’ve added 3-4 leaves of this herb. Have this steaming tea with a little honey.

Whether you opt for almonds or hot basil tea, these simple and effective home remedies are sure-shot ways of getting respite from painful headaches.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

You Will Stay Headache Free Naturally, If You Do These 5 Things!

Frequent headaches can be uncomfortable at best, and debilitating at worst. While a chronic migraine can come with a throbbing pain on one side of the head, headaches due to tension can cause mild to moderate pain on both sides. Also, daily headaches happen in at least 15 days, Hemicrania Continua is a condition that brings about constant pain, and usually happens on one side of the head. Read on to learn more about dealing with these different kinds of headaches.

1. Medical Treatment: Inflammation, infections like meningitis and brain injuries that have been proven to be traumatic should be treated with due medication after a proper consultation with a doctor. In certain cases, headaches can be caused due to brain tumours and they must be treated at once. Also, headaches that come with fever, stiff neck, confusion and constant vomiting must be treated by a doctor immediately.

2. Take an Over the Counter Drug: Taking an over the counter drug for instant pain relief can stop the pain and give temporary or long term relief, depending on the kind of headache you are experiencing. It is advisable to speak with a doctor before taking any kind of drug.

3. Find your Triggers: Find and limit your triggers like certain food types as well as stress and certain seasonal changes. Stepping out in the summer with an umbrella and avoiding caffeine or too much of chocolate and cheese can also help in alleviating the pain. Stress is also a major factor that contributes to headaches and should be avoided in order to prevent or stop the pain.

4. Drink Plenty of Water: Staying hydrated is a good way to treat headaches instantly. The consumption of water is known to soothe the pain effectively.

5. A Soothing Break: Find a quiet place with dim lighting to take a break that should ideally last at least half an hour to one hour, or even more. This will help in diminishing and removing the pain. You can also use a cold compress and get yourself a massage.

5 Ways To Deal With Headaches

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