Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEye StrainDehydrationMigraineHypoglycemiaGlaucomaOptic NeuritisHerpes OphthalmicusMeningitisPseudotumor CerebriGiant Cell ArteritisBrain AneurysmStroke

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Eye Strain

Dehydration

Migraine

Hypoglycemia

Glaucoma

Optic Neuritis

Herpes Ophthalmicus

Meningitis

Pseudotumor Cerebri

Giant Cell Arteritis

Brain Aneurysm

Stroke

Here are 12 possible causes of headache and blurred vision, including a list of other signs and symptoms and an overview of how each condition is treated.

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Businessman sitting in back of car, rubbing weary eyes

Eye strainis one of the most common causes of headaches and blurred vision. Overusing the focusing muscles of your eyes can cause headaches and vision changes lasting an hour or more.

Symptoms of eye strain include:

The best way to treat eye strain is to rest the eyes, use special filters or eyeglasses to reduce screen glare, and applyartificial tearsto counter eye dryness.

Dehydrationis when you lose more fluid than you take in, affecting numerous bodily functions due to depleted water supplies. The eyes can become involved when the loss of water changes the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure) or causeseye dryness.

When extreme dehydration, symptoms include:

Amigraine headachecan cause intense one-sided head pain along with vision changes. Anauracan occur before the actual headache, causing visual distortions like:

Migraines can also cause:

Medications can be used to treat or prevent migraine, includingprescription drugssuch as Imitrex (sumatriptan and Maxalt (rizatriptan). Stress management and avoidance ofmigraine triggersare also key to managing migraine symptoms.

Hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar, can become a medical emergency if your bloodglucose(sugar) drops below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Hypoglycemia most commonly affects people withdiabetes, but can also be due to other certain medications or drinking excessive alcohol.

Symptoms of severe hypoglycemia include:

How to Treat Hypoglycemia

Glaucomais a group of eye disorders that damage theoptic nerve. It is an aging-relatedeye diseasethat is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States aftercataracts.

Symptoms of glaucoma include:

The treatment of glaucoma includes prescription eye drops and oral drugs likebeta-blockers. Laser eye therapy and surgery may also be needed.

How Glaucoma Is Treated

Symptoms of optic neuritis include:

Optic neuritis usually improves on its own once the underlying condition resolves or eases. Oral or intravenouscorticosteroids(steroids) may also be given in the meantime to reduce optic nerve inflammation.

Symptoms of herpes ophthalmicus include:

These symptoms may precede or accompany an outbreak of painful, fluid-filled blisters on the affected side of the face.

If not treated with a seven-day course oforal antiviral drugslike Zovirax (acyclovir) or Valtrex (valacyclovir), permanent vision loss can occur. Oral or intravenous steroids may also be needed.

Shingles can prevented with a two-dose vaccine calledShingrix.

Symptoms of meningitis include:

Bacterial meningitis is treated as a medical emergency with oral or intravenousantibiotics.Viral meningitis often resolves on its own but may benefit from antiviral drugs and supportive care.

Pseudotumor cerebrioccurs when pressure within the skull (intracranial pressure) increases for no apparent reason. The most often affect females in their childbearing years, especially those who have recently gained weight.

Also known asidiopathic intracranial hypertension, pseudotumor cerebri can cause symptoms like:

While 65% to 85% of people with pseudotumor cerebri will experience visual impairment, the condition is usually temporary.

Even so, pseudotumor cerebri may be treated with oraldiuretics(“water pills”) that help relieve intracranial pressure. This, in turn, can reduce the risk of optic nerve damage.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also known astemporal arteritis, is inflammation of the lining of the arteries that run along the temple. GCA is thought to be anautoimmune diseasein which the immune system attacks blood vessels, causing them to narrow and reduce blood flow to surrounding tissues.

Symptoms of GCA include:

GCA is considered a medical emergency. If left untreated, it can cause vision loss in one or both eyes. The treatment typically involves oral corticosteroids likeprednisoneandimmunosuppressantslike Actemera (tocilizumab).

Not all brain aneurysms cause symptoms but those that do can cause:

If left untreated, a severe brain aneurysm can rupture (break open), causing massive bleeding and ahemorrhagic stroke.

Unruptured brain aneurysms that do not cause symptoms may be left alone and monitored with routinebrain imaging tests. For severe or symptomatic brain aneurysms, surgery may be needed.

Symptoms of a stroke can vary dramatically and may include:

The treatment of stroke is focused on preventing further damage to the brain, using medications like intravenous diuretics and procedures likethrombectomy(used to remove clots).

After a patient has been stabilized, recovery and rehabilitation can begin with a team of care providers.

How Stroke Is Treated

Summary

There are many reasons why you might have headaches and sudden vision changes. The causes may be relatively benign or manageable, such as eye strain, dehydration, hypoglycemia, glaucoma, or migraine. At other times, emergency medical treatment may be needed for conditions like brain aneurysm, stroke, bacterial meningitis, or giant cell arteritis.

Severe, unexplained, or chronic headaches with vision changes (including low vision, tunnel vision, double vision, or blind spots) should never be ignored.

What Causes a Sharp Pain in the Eye?

20 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.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Eyestrain.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Dehydration and heat stroke.Aghsaeifard Z, Heidari G, Alizadeh R.Understanding the use of oral rehydration therapy: a narrative review from clinical practice to main recommendations.Health Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 11;5(5):e827. doi:10.1002/hsr2.827Viana M, Tronvik EA, Do TP, Zecca C, Hougaard A.Clinical features of visual migraine aura: a systematic review.J Headache Pain. 2019;20(1):64. doi:10.1186/s10194-019-1008-xAmerican Diabetes Association.Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose).National Institutes of Health.Hypoglycemia.National Eye Institute.Glaucoma.Wilhelm H, Schabet M.The diagnosis and treatment of optic neuritis.Deutsches Ärzteblatt Int. 2015;112(37):616-625. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2015.0616American Academy of Ophthalmology.Herpes zoster ophthalmicus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Meningitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bacterial meningitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Viral meningitis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pseudotumor cerebri.Nesher G.The diagnosis and classification of giant cell arteritis.J Autoimmun.2014 Feb-Mar;48-49:73-5. doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2014.01.017Ponte C, Rodrigues AF, O’Neill L, Luqmani RA.Giant cell arteritis: current treatment and management.World J Clin Cases. 2015 Jun 16;3(6):484-494. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v3.i6.484Wang GX, Zhang D, Wang ZP, Yang LQ, Yang H, Li W.Risk factors for ruptured intracranial aneurysms.Indian J Med Res. 2018;147(1):51-57. doi:10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1665_15Brain Aneurysm Foundation.Warning signs/symptoms.Silva MA, Chen S, Starke RM.Unruptured cerebral aneurysm risk stratification: background, current research, and future directions in aneurysm assessment.Surg Neurol Int. 2022;13:182. doi:10.25259/SNI_1112_2021National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Stroke symptoms.Richards LG, Cramer SC.Advances in stroke: therapies targeting stroke recovery.Stroke. 2021;52(1):348-350. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.033231

20 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.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Eyestrain.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Dehydration and heat stroke.Aghsaeifard Z, Heidari G, Alizadeh R.Understanding the use of oral rehydration therapy: a narrative review from clinical practice to main recommendations.Health Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 11;5(5):e827. doi:10.1002/hsr2.827Viana M, Tronvik EA, Do TP, Zecca C, Hougaard A.Clinical features of visual migraine aura: a systematic review.J Headache Pain. 2019;20(1):64. doi:10.1186/s10194-019-1008-xAmerican Diabetes Association.Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose).National Institutes of Health.Hypoglycemia.National Eye Institute.Glaucoma.Wilhelm H, Schabet M.The diagnosis and treatment of optic neuritis.Deutsches Ärzteblatt Int. 2015;112(37):616-625. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2015.0616American Academy of Ophthalmology.Herpes zoster ophthalmicus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Meningitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bacterial meningitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Viral meningitis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pseudotumor cerebri.Nesher G.The diagnosis and classification of giant cell arteritis.J Autoimmun.2014 Feb-Mar;48-49:73-5. doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2014.01.017Ponte C, Rodrigues AF, O’Neill L, Luqmani RA.Giant cell arteritis: current treatment and management.World J Clin Cases. 2015 Jun 16;3(6):484-494. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v3.i6.484Wang GX, Zhang D, Wang ZP, Yang LQ, Yang H, Li W.Risk factors for ruptured intracranial aneurysms.Indian J Med Res. 2018;147(1):51-57. doi:10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1665_15Brain Aneurysm Foundation.Warning signs/symptoms.Silva MA, Chen S, Starke RM.Unruptured cerebral aneurysm risk stratification: background, current research, and future directions in aneurysm assessment.Surg Neurol Int. 2022;13:182. doi:10.25259/SNI_1112_2021National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Stroke symptoms.Richards LG, Cramer SC.Advances in stroke: therapies targeting stroke recovery.Stroke. 2021;52(1):348-350. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.033231

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.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Eyestrain.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Dehydration and heat stroke.Aghsaeifard Z, Heidari G, Alizadeh R.Understanding the use of oral rehydration therapy: a narrative review from clinical practice to main recommendations.Health Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 11;5(5):e827. doi:10.1002/hsr2.827Viana M, Tronvik EA, Do TP, Zecca C, Hougaard A.Clinical features of visual migraine aura: a systematic review.J Headache Pain. 2019;20(1):64. doi:10.1186/s10194-019-1008-xAmerican Diabetes Association.Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose).National Institutes of Health.Hypoglycemia.National Eye Institute.Glaucoma.Wilhelm H, Schabet M.The diagnosis and treatment of optic neuritis.Deutsches Ärzteblatt Int. 2015;112(37):616-625. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2015.0616American Academy of Ophthalmology.Herpes zoster ophthalmicus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Meningitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bacterial meningitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Viral meningitis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pseudotumor cerebri.Nesher G.The diagnosis and classification of giant cell arteritis.J Autoimmun.2014 Feb-Mar;48-49:73-5. doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2014.01.017Ponte C, Rodrigues AF, O’Neill L, Luqmani RA.Giant cell arteritis: current treatment and management.World J Clin Cases. 2015 Jun 16;3(6):484-494. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v3.i6.484Wang GX, Zhang D, Wang ZP, Yang LQ, Yang H, Li W.Risk factors for ruptured intracranial aneurysms.Indian J Med Res. 2018;147(1):51-57. doi:10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1665_15Brain Aneurysm Foundation.Warning signs/symptoms.Silva MA, Chen S, Starke RM.Unruptured cerebral aneurysm risk stratification: background, current research, and future directions in aneurysm assessment.Surg Neurol Int. 2022;13:182. doi:10.25259/SNI_1112_2021National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Stroke symptoms.Richards LG, Cramer SC.Advances in stroke: therapies targeting stroke recovery.Stroke. 2021;52(1):348-350. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.033231

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Eyestrain.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Dehydration and heat stroke.

Aghsaeifard Z, Heidari G, Alizadeh R.Understanding the use of oral rehydration therapy: a narrative review from clinical practice to main recommendations.Health Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 11;5(5):e827. doi:10.1002/hsr2.827

Viana M, Tronvik EA, Do TP, Zecca C, Hougaard A.Clinical features of visual migraine aura: a systematic review.J Headache Pain. 2019;20(1):64. doi:10.1186/s10194-019-1008-x

American Diabetes Association.Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose).

National Institutes of Health.Hypoglycemia.

National Eye Institute.Glaucoma.

Wilhelm H, Schabet M.The diagnosis and treatment of optic neuritis.Deutsches Ärzteblatt Int. 2015;112(37):616-625. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2015.0616

American Academy of Ophthalmology.Herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Meningitis.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bacterial meningitis.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Viral meningitis.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pseudotumor cerebri.

Nesher G.The diagnosis and classification of giant cell arteritis.J Autoimmun.2014 Feb-Mar;48-49:73-5. doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2014.01.017

Ponte C, Rodrigues AF, O’Neill L, Luqmani RA.Giant cell arteritis: current treatment and management.World J Clin Cases. 2015 Jun 16;3(6):484-494. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v3.i6.484

Wang GX, Zhang D, Wang ZP, Yang LQ, Yang H, Li W.Risk factors for ruptured intracranial aneurysms.Indian J Med Res. 2018;147(1):51-57. doi:10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1665_15

Brain Aneurysm Foundation.Warning signs/symptoms.

Silva MA, Chen S, Starke RM.Unruptured cerebral aneurysm risk stratification: background, current research, and future directions in aneurysm assessment.Surg Neurol Int. 2022;13:182. doi:10.25259/SNI_1112_2021

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Stroke symptoms.

Richards LG, Cramer SC.Advances in stroke: therapies targeting stroke recovery.Stroke. 2021;52(1):348-350. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.033231

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