Why Am I Feeling Pressure Behind My Eyes?

Are you feeling pressure behind your left eye, right eye or both eyes and wondering what could be causing it? The truth is that there are many reasons for this type of eye pain. You could have a sinus infection, migraine or tension headache, Graves disease, optic neuritis, a toothache, or a facial injury.

Pressure Behind Eye? Diagnosing the Common Causes

If you have pressure behind your eyes, it’s important to understand what may be causing it and when to see a doctor. Let’s take a look at some of the common causes of eye pressure and eye pain.

Sinus Infection

Sinus infections can cause sinus eye pain. Your sinuses are empty spaces in your skull that run behind and around your eyes. The pain is caused by excess mucus filling those cavities. Sinus infections can also cause:

• A stuffy or runny nose
• Loss of smell due to the congestion
• Constant headache
• Facial pain or pressure
• Feeling mucus drain down the back of your throat
• Experiencing a cough
• Elevated body temperature (fever)

Sinus infections are typically caused by viruses and bacteria. If you suspect you have a sinus infection, it’s best to see your primary care doctor or visit an urgent care doctor for a diagnosis and treatment.

Migraine or Tension Headache

Another common cause of pain behind your eyes includes migraines and tension headaches. These headaches may cause pressure behind the left eye, right eye or both eyes. Additional symptoms of these types of headaches include:

• Pulsing pain on one or both dies of your head
• Feeling like there is a band tightening around your head
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sensitivity to light and/or sound
• Changes in your vision or experiencing blurry vision
• Seeing strange lights, also known as halos

Taking an over-the-counter pain reliever or muscle relaxer can often alleviate the symptoms of a headache. However, if you get frequent headaches or they are severe, it’s time to make an appointment with your family practitioner to get a complete diagnosis and treatment plan.

Graves Disease

Graves disease is caused by an overactive thyroid gland, which is located at the base of your neck. This condition can cause the soft tissues behind your eyes to swell. If you notice that your left eye, right eye, or both eyes are bulging, it may be due to Graves disease. Other symptoms of Graves disease include:

• Eye irritation
• Dry eyes or excessive tearing
• Light sensitivity
• Double vision
• Eye ulcers
• Vision loss
• Loss of range of motion or pain when moving your eyes

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s best to schedule an appointment with your family doctor for further diagnosing and testing.

Optic Neuritis

Optic neuritis is characterized by inflammation or swelling of the optic nerve. It most commonly occurs in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, it is often the first symptom of MS. At the onset, individuals may experience a loss of vision and eye pain or pressure behind the eyes. The majority of the symptoms of optic neuritis occur within the first three days of onset. Though, it typically takes one to three months to resolve. Additional symptoms of optic neuritis include:

• Loss of vision in the left or right eye
• Pain while moving the eye
• Strange pupil reactions to bright light
• Dulling of colors or color blindness

If you are experiencing these symptoms, it’s best to visit one of our eye doctors in Atlanta. These symptoms can be caused by a myriad of eye conditions, not just optic neuritis. Our eye doctors can perform a comprehensive eye exam that tests for various eye conditions so that you can get an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Toothache

Does your mouth hurt as well as your eye? Toothaches can cause pain behind one or both eyes. This is because as the infection in the tooth gets worse, it can put pressure on the nerves of the gum and cheek, which means the pain eventually starts to radiate from the mouth to the eyes. Other symptoms of a toothache include:

• Pain when you bite down
• Swelling around the affected tooth
• Throbbing mouth pain
• Having a headache

If you have a toothache, you should visit your local dentist. If you’re not sure, you can schedule an appointment with your family doctor, who will run more tests and may refer you to other types of medical professionals.

Facial Injury

Have you recently experienced a facial injury? Getting hit by an object or having your face impact an object, especially if the impact was around your eyes, can result in a feeling of pressure behind one or both eyes. You may also experience:

• A black eye
• Bulging eyes
• Double or blurry vision
• Numbness and swelling around the eyes

Healing facial injuries may require visits to both your family doctor and our eye clinic. Your family doctor can determine if you have any severe injuries to your face that may require medical treatment. Our eye doctors can determine if there’s been any injuries to your eyes and your vision that may require treatment.

When to See an Eye Doctor for a Feeling of Pressure in Eyes

If you are concerned about your vision, feeling pressure between or behind the eyes and experiencing changes in your vision, it’s time to schedule an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam in Atlanta. Our comprehensive eye exams include testing for visual acuity as well as common eye disease, including glaucoma, cataracts, and dry eyes.

To schedule an appointment with one of our eye doctors in Atlanta, call us today.