Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentPreventionWhen to See Your Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Prevention
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
When you have burning eyes and aheadache, the pain and discomfort can make it difficult to cope and get through the day.
Certain triggers (e.g., allergies, eye strain, migraines) can cause burning eyes and a headache at the same time. In some cases, these symptoms may be a sign of an underlying health condition.
This article explores what it means to have burning eyes and a headache together; which conditions can bring these symptoms on; and what you can do to manage them.
Getty Images / fizkes
Symptoms of Burning Eyes and Headache
Symptoms of burning eyes may present as:
Headache symptoms vary, depending on the type of headache, but may present as:
Other symptoms may accompany headaches, such as:
What Causes Burning Eyes and Headache?
Many conditions can causeburning eyesand headaches together. You could be experiencing both of these discomforts due toallergies, eye strain,dehydration, migraines, sinus headaches, cluster headaches, andmeningitis.
Allergies
Eye Strain
Dehydration
Beingdehydratedcan cause dry eyes, which can feel itchy and burning.Although the exact cause isn’t known, being dehydrated can also cause headaches.
Migraine Headaches
Migrainestend to be more severe and disabling than a typical headache. They cause moderate to severe pain that is throbbing or pulsing and typically only affects one side of the head.
Sinus Headaches
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headachescan involve pain around one eye, along with a drooping eyelid, tearing, and congestion on the same side as the pain.
Meningitis
Emergency Care for Spinal MeningitisIf you have symptoms of spinal meningitis, seek medical attention immediately for proper treatment.
Emergency Care for Spinal Meningitis
If you have symptoms of spinal meningitis, seek medical attention immediately for proper treatment.
How to Treat Burning Eyes and Headache
Although there is a connection between burning eyes and headache, each symptom may need to be treated separately, depending on the cause.
Burning Eyes Remedies
When a single trigger causes both headache and burning eyes, such as staring at a screen for hours at a time, reducing or removing the trigger may help alleviate symptoms and prevent future episodes.
Treatments for burning eyes include over-the-counter medications and prescription eye drops such as:
Try these home remedies to relieve burning eyes:
Headache Remedies
Treatments for headachesinclude:
Talk to your healthcare provider about these treatment options if you experience burning eyes and headache.
What Are the Best Eye Drops for Dry Eyes?
How to Prevent Burning Eyes and Headache
There are several ways you can prevent burning eyes and headache:
Summary
Burning eyes and headache are common and have a variety of potential causes, including headache disorders, eye strain, and allergies. While both symptoms can be painful and unsettling, they are both treatable.
It can be helpful to keep a journal/log when you experience burning eyes and headache to determine if certain activities, foods, sounds, medications, or scents are a trigger. Knowing your triggers may help prevent future episodes.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Burning eyes.Bartlett JD, Keith MS, Sudharshan L, Snedecor SJ.Associations between signs and symptoms of dry eye disease: a systematic review.Clin Ophthalmol. 2015;9:1719-1730. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S89700Medline Plus.Migraine.NIH News in Health.Headache pain.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Allergens and pollen.National Headache Foundation.Seasonal allergies or chronic headache? Here are the differences.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Eyestrain.Sherwin JC, Kokavec J, Thornton SN.Hydration, fluid regulation and the eye: in health and disease.Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2015;43(8):749-764. doi:10.1111/ceo.12546Harvard Medical School.Can dehydration cause headaches?Mount Sinai.Sinus headaches.Medline Plus.Cluster headaches.S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.Spinal meningitis.National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Eye burning - itching and discharge.Giannaccare G, Pellegrini M, Sebastiani S, et al.Efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for treatment of dry eye disease: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Cornea. 2019;38(5):565-573. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000001884National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Headache.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Burning eyes.Bartlett JD, Keith MS, Sudharshan L, Snedecor SJ.Associations between signs and symptoms of dry eye disease: a systematic review.Clin Ophthalmol. 2015;9:1719-1730. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S89700Medline Plus.Migraine.NIH News in Health.Headache pain.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Allergens and pollen.National Headache Foundation.Seasonal allergies or chronic headache? Here are the differences.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Eyestrain.Sherwin JC, Kokavec J, Thornton SN.Hydration, fluid regulation and the eye: in health and disease.Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2015;43(8):749-764. doi:10.1111/ceo.12546Harvard Medical School.Can dehydration cause headaches?Mount Sinai.Sinus headaches.Medline Plus.Cluster headaches.S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.Spinal meningitis.National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Eye burning - itching and discharge.Giannaccare G, Pellegrini M, Sebastiani S, et al.Efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for treatment of dry eye disease: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Cornea. 2019;38(5):565-573. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000001884National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Headache.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Burning eyes.Bartlett JD, Keith MS, Sudharshan L, Snedecor SJ.Associations between signs and symptoms of dry eye disease: a systematic review.Clin Ophthalmol. 2015;9:1719-1730. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S89700Medline Plus.Migraine.NIH News in Health.Headache pain.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Allergens and pollen.National Headache Foundation.Seasonal allergies or chronic headache? Here are the differences.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Eyestrain.Sherwin JC, Kokavec J, Thornton SN.Hydration, fluid regulation and the eye: in health and disease.Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2015;43(8):749-764. doi:10.1111/ceo.12546Harvard Medical School.Can dehydration cause headaches?Mount Sinai.Sinus headaches.Medline Plus.Cluster headaches.S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.Spinal meningitis.National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Eye burning - itching and discharge.Giannaccare G, Pellegrini M, Sebastiani S, et al.Efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for treatment of dry eye disease: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Cornea. 2019;38(5):565-573. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000001884National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Headache.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Burning eyes.
Bartlett JD, Keith MS, Sudharshan L, Snedecor SJ.Associations between signs and symptoms of dry eye disease: a systematic review.Clin Ophthalmol. 2015;9:1719-1730. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S89700
Medline Plus.Migraine.
NIH News in Health.Headache pain.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Allergens and pollen.
National Headache Foundation.Seasonal allergies or chronic headache? Here are the differences.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Eyestrain.
Sherwin JC, Kokavec J, Thornton SN.Hydration, fluid regulation and the eye: in health and disease.Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2015;43(8):749-764. doi:10.1111/ceo.12546
Harvard Medical School.Can dehydration cause headaches?
Mount Sinai.Sinus headaches.
Medline Plus.Cluster headaches.
S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.Spinal meningitis.
National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Eye burning - itching and discharge.
Giannaccare G, Pellegrini M, Sebastiani S, et al.Efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for treatment of dry eye disease: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Cornea. 2019;38(5):565-573. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000001884
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Headache.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
