Headaches are more than just severe headaches; they can come with a host of debilitating symptoms—including visual ones. Headaches don’t directly cause double vision, but they are connected in surprising ways and Neurolens glasses can help you find relief from both!
If you spend a lot of time on digital screens fighting off swelling headaches, rest easy knowing your optometrist is here to help.
The Connection Between Headaches & Vision
Intense headaches characterized by throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head, can last from a few hours to several days and are often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
If you’ve ever caught yourself rubbing your eyes during a headache, there’s a reason why! About 25% of intense headache sufferers experience visual disturbances. However, they’re typically short lived and it can be difficult to tell if the visual symptoms are related to the headaches. Instead, it’s worth taking a look at a common cause of both headaches and double vision—and it’s all about the brain.
Your brain is like the central control room for everything you do, including seeing. Your eyes send light signals to the brain through the optic nerve, each eye sending a slightly different image. Normally, your brain can stitch these images together with no problem. A small eye misalignment, however, can instead make your brain work overtime. This is especially prevalent when using digital screens.
What is Digital Eye Strain?
There’s no denying we spend more time on digital devices than ever before. Prolonged use can lead to digital eye strain (DES), sometimes called computer vision syndrome.
Symptoms of digital eye strain include:
- Headaches
- Blurry vision
- Double vision
- Irritated or tired eyes
- Eye strain
While screen contrast, glare, and other digital features can cause DES, its discomfort can be particularly harsh on those living with eye misalignment. Even if you don’t normally have trouble with vision, working on computers, tablets, smartphones, and other screens for long periods can exacerbate minor symptoms.
As your eyes work harder, they put increased pressure on the trigeminal nerve. This nerve helps your face recognize sensations—including pain. With enough pressure comes headaches and double vision. So while headaches might not be the cause of your double vision, treating one may address the other. That’s where Neurolens comes in.
How Neurolenses Work
Neurolens is an innovative technology that aims to correct the eye misalignment that can cause headaches, neck pain, and even double vision. Unlike conventional eyeglasses that correct refractive errors with convex or concave lenses, Neurolenses employ a unique “contoured prism.”
Getting your pair of Neurolen glasses starts with an eye exam. Once we understand your symptoms, we can use the Neurolens Measurement Device (NMD) to make custom-designed lenses that address your potential triggers. This device uses eye-tracking technology to examine your focus points and create prism lenses that gently align your eyes. This helps alleviate pressure on your trigeminal nerve, letting your brain and eyes take a breather.
If you already wear prescription glasses, Neurolenses can incorporate them so you can have both clear and comfortable vision.
Are Neurolenses Effective?
Patients have reported noticeable improvements in their symptoms after wearing Neurolenses, including:
- 93% of patients experienced symptom relief
- 81.6% of wearers reported a significant reduction in chronic daily headaches after 90 days
- 100% of patients with computer vision syndrome responded positively to Neurolens treatment
Tips for Dealing with Digital Eye Strain
Managing digital eye strain can help you avoid headaches and double vision. While Neurolens can be an excellent treatment, keeping your eyes happy while working at a computer for hours often involves lifestyle changes.
Help reduce digital eye strain with these tips:
- Take Regular Breaks: Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, gaze at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
- Adjust Your Lighting: Too bright or too dim? Neither is great. Aim for soft, ambient lighting that minimizes glare on your screens.
- Mind Your Posture: Keep your screen at eye level and about an arm’s length away. This can help avoid neck and shoulder pain.
- Blink More: Sounds funny, but we tend to blink less when staring at screens, leading to dry eyes. Make a conscious effort to blink more often.
- Customize Screen Settings: Dial down that brightness and tweak the text size and contrast to what feels comfortable for your eyes.
- Stay Hydrated: Good for your body, great for your eyes. Keeping hydrated helps ward off dryness and irritation.
- Get Regular Eye Exams: Don’t skip those check-ups! Regular eye exams can detect issues early and keep your prescription up to date.
Incorporating these habits can significantly alleviate the discomfort of digital eye strain.
See Clearly & Find Relief from Headaches
Understanding the connection between headaches and double vision is key to finding effective relief. Neurolens offers a promising solution by addressing both these symptom’s root causes. If you’re a headache sufferer experiencing vision problems or a digital worker feeling the drain, we invite you to explore Neurolens technology with our Total Vision San Clemente team!
Book your appointment today and start your journey towards clearer vision and fewer headaches.
