Reasons Behind the Pressure in Your Eyes: Common Causes and Solutions

Pressure in the eyes can come from eye strain, sinus pressure, or migraine, and sometimes glaucoma. See an eye doctor if it persists.

Common causes

• Eye strain.
• Sinus pressure.
• Migraine or cluster headache.
• Allergies.
• Dry eye.
• High eye pressure (glaucoma).

What helps

Rest your eyes, use warm compresses and take breaks.

See an eye doctor

If pain is persistent or vision changes.

Emergency

Sudden eye pain with halos, nausea and blurred vision (acute angle closure glaucoma). Call 911.

Eye pressure basics

A feeling of pressure in the eyes can come from sinus congestion, eye strain, dry eyes, migraines, tension headaches, allergies, or less often elevated intraocular pressure. Normal intraocular pressure is about 10 to 21 mmHg, and glaucoma can occur even within that range.

• Glaucoma affects over 3 million Americans and is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Chronic open-angle glaucoma often has no symptoms until vision is lost.
• Acute angle-closure glaucoma is an emergency with eye pain, nausea, halos around lights and blurred vision.
• Thyroid eye disease can cause bulging and pressure.

Care

Rest the eyes, use warm compresses, treat allergies and sinus symptoms, and take screen breaks. Get a comprehensive eye exam including pressure checks every 1 to 2 years if over 40 or if at risk (family history, African, Hispanic or Asian ancestry, diabetes). Go to the emergency department for sudden severe eye pain, vision loss or halos.

Eye pressure basics

Normal intraocular pressure is 10 to 21 mmHg. Feeling pressure behind the eyes can come from sinus congestion, eye strain, migraines or cluster headaches, dry eye, or in rare cases glaucoma. Most glaucoma has no symptoms until late.

Care

Rest eyes, treat allergies and see an eye doctor for regular pressure checks, especially over 40. Sudden severe eye pain with halos and vision loss is an emergency (acute angle closure).

Causes of pressure sensation

Eye pressure may be caused by sinus congestion, tension headaches, eye strain, dry eye, migraine, thyroid eye disease or glaucoma. The normal intraocular pressure is 10 to 21 mmHg, but glaucoma can occur at normal pressure. Glaucoma affects over 3 million Americans, and about half do not know they have it.

Testing and treatment

Eye exams include tonometry, optic nerve imaging and visual fields. Open angle glaucoma is treated with prostaglandin drops such as latanoprost. Acute angle closure is an emergency with severe eye pain, halos, headache, nausea and blurred vision, requiring immediate care. People over 40, with family history, African or Hispanic ancestry or diabetes have higher risk.

Based on data from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Glaucoma Research Foundation