symptom

Headache Behind the Eyes: Common Causes, Migraine Links and Relief

Written by healthwords.ai's team of doctors and pharmacists based in UK | Updated: 22 Jul 2026 | 8 min read

Key Takeaways

A headache behind the eyes can be caused by migraine, sinusitis, tension headache, cluster headache, eye strain, dehydration, illness or medication overuse.
Pain behind the eyes with nausea, light sensitivity, sound sensitivity or one-sided throbbing pain may point towards migraine.
A headache behind the eyes and forehead with a blocked nose, thick nasal discharge, facial pressure or reduced sense of smell may be linked to sinusitis.
A severe headache behind one eye with restlessness, tearing, a blocked nostril, or a drooping eyelid can suggest a cluster headache and should be assessed.
Seek urgent help if a headache is sudden and extremely painful, accompanied by vision loss, weakness, numbness, confusion, a seizure, a stiff neck, a rash, or difficulty speaking.
Healthwords offers headache and migraine treatment resources, including guidance on pain relief, migraine treatments and sumatriptan.

A headache behind the eyes can feel like pressure, a throbbing, aching, or stabbing pain, or a tight sensation around the eye sockets and forehead. Some people describe it as pain behind the eyes, while others notice a headache behind one eye or behind both eyes and across the forehead at the same time.

The reassuring news is that most headaches are not serious and can often be managed with rest, fluids and suitable pain relief. However, headaches behind the eyes can sometimes be linked to migraine, sinusitis, cluster headaches, potential eye problems, or a more urgent medical issue or infection. Therefore, it is always advised that you get medically assessed if you are suffering from severe pain or chronic, recurring headaches. When being assessed by healthword.ai, the pattern of the pain, how quickly it started, and any other symptoms are just some of the factors that will be taken into account. Every case is handled individually, and advice and care are tailored to your needs.

This guide explains common causes of headaches behind the eyes, how migraines can differ from sinus headaches, what may help, and when to seek medical advice.

What Does a Headache Behind The Eyes Mean?

A headache behind the eyes is a symptom, not a diagnosis. The pain may feel as though it is coming from the eyes, but it can also come from nearby parts of the facial region or head, such as the sinuses, nerves, scalp muscles, or blood vessels.

Common patterns include:

Pressure around both eyes and the forehead.
Throbbing pain behind one eye.
A tight band-like ache across the forehead.
Sharp or stabbing pain around one eye.
Pain that worsens with movement, light or screens.
Pain with nasal congestion, blocked sinuses or facial tenderness.
Pain with vision changes, eye redness or nausea.

Official NHS guidance lists common headache causes as: stress, alcohol, bad posture, eyesight problems, dehydration, missed meals, taking too many painkillers, and periods and menopause. The guidance also notes that severe headaches can sometimes be caused by migraine or cluster headaches.

Headache Behind Eyes and Forehead: Common Patterns

A headache behind the eyes and forehead is often described as a pressure-type pain. It may be linked to sinus congestion, a tension headache, eye strain, migraine or be an indication of general illness.

Sinusitis

Sinusitis is one possible cause, especially if the pain sits around the cheeks, eyes and forehead. Sinusitis can cause a blocked nose, green or yellow nasal discharge, pain and tenderness around the cheeks, eyes or forehead, fever, toothache, reduced sense of smell and bad breath.

Migraines

Migraines can also cause pain around or behind the eye. Migraine attacks can cause a severe throbbing headache, often on one side, and may come with nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Some people also get aura symptoms, including visual changes, tingling, dizziness or difficulty speaking.

Distinguishing between the two conditions

A useful clue is what comes with the pain.

Blocked nose and thick discharge may point more towards sinusitis. Whereas, light sensitivity, nausea and throbbing pain may point more towards migraine.

Sudden severe pain, eye redness, new vision changes or neurological symptoms should be treated more urgently. If ever seriously in doubt, call or get someone to call 111 on your behalf.

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Migraine Links: How Migraines Can Cause Pain Behind Eyes

Migraines are one of the most common reasons people search for ‘headache behind eyes’.

The pain may sit behind one eye, around the temples, across the forehead, or on one side of the head. It can feel throbbing and may worsen when you move around.

Migraine symptoms can include:

Throbbing head pain.
Nausea or vomiting.
Sensitivity to light, sound or smells.
Visual aura, such as flashing lights or zigzag lines.
Tingling, numbness, dizziness or speech symptoms.
Tiredness, yawning, thirst, mood changes or stiff neck before the headache.

How Long Do Migraines Last?

The NHS says migraine attacks usually last between 4 hours and 3 days, and aura symptoms should not last longer than 1 hour. It also advises calling 999 for a headache that comes on suddenly and is extremely painful, or if there are problems speaking, memory problems, vision loss, drowsiness, seizure, weakness on one side, or if you have had a recent head injury.

Our expert Healthwords guide, Migraines: Understanding the Causes and Symptoms, explains how migraines can be managed with acute treatment and prevention, depending on symptoms and frequency.

Headache Behind Eye: Could It Be A Cluster Headache?

A headache behind the eye on one side can sometimes be a cluster headache.

Cluster headaches are usually very painful and can cause severe pain around one eye or temple. They often come in repeated attacks over weeks or months.

The NHS advises seeing a GP if you think you might have cluster headaches, if headaches keep coming back, if ibuprofen or paracetamol do not help, or if headaches are so painful they make you restless or agitated.

Eye Strain, Glaucoma, and Other Eye-Related Causes

Eye strain can cause aching around the eyes or both eyes, especially after long periods of screen use, reading, driving or working in poor lighting conditions. It can also happen if your glasses or contact lens prescription needs updating.

However, not all eye pain is simple eye strain. Glaucoma usually develops slowly without symptoms, but the NHS says it can sometimes develop suddenly and cause intense eye pain, a red eye, tenderness around the eyes, rainbow-coloured circles in your vision when around lights, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and chronic headache.

Over 50s

You should seek urgent advice if you are over 50 and have a new severe headache with scalp tenderness, jaw pain while eating or talking, or vision impairing symptoms. Temporal arteritis is serious and needs urgent treatment because it can lead to stroke or blindness if not treated quickly.

What Can Help With A Headache Behind the Eyes?

What helps depends on the cause. For a mild headache behind the eyes, simple self-care may be enough:

Rest somewhere quiet and comfortable.
Drink fluids, especially if you may be dehydrated.
Eat something if you have skipped meals.
Take a break from screens.
Try a cool compress over the forehead or eyes.
Avoid alcohol.
Use suitable pain relief, following the packet instructions.
Keep a headache diary to spot patterns.

Many headaches can be treated at home with rest, fluids, relaxation, regular exercise and painkillers. Our online medical assessment team can provide advice and treatments to help relieve headache-related pain.

It is worth noting that taking painkillers for more than 2 days a week can cause more headaches and make migraines harder to treat. The safest approach is to seek medical diagnosis if you have a consistent headache for longer than 48 hours.

Healthwords Treatments and Resources That May Help

Healthwords has several relevant headache and migraine resources that can support people who are looking for safe, practical next steps.

Useful Healthwords pages include:

If you are choosing medicine and you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 16, taking regular medication, have asthma, stomach ulcers, kidney disease, liver disease, blood pressure problems, heart disease, or you are unsure what is suitable, speak to a pharmacist, GP or appropriate clinician.

When To Get Medical Advice

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if you have a headache that is accompanied by vision or eye problems, a headache made worse by coughing, sneezing, bending down or exercising, a headache that causes vomiting, jaw pain when eating, a sore or tender scalp, or any other of the more serious category of symptoms that have been discussed in this guide.

What Might A Clinician Check?

A clinician may ask:

Where the pain is: behind one eye, both eyes, forehead, temples or all over.
When it started, and whether it came on suddenly.
Whether it is throbbing, pressure-like, stabbing or tight.
Whether you have nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity or sound sensitivity.
Whether you have nasal congestion, facial pressure, discharge or fever.
Whether you have red eye, eye pain, blurred vision or halos around lights.
Whether you have weakness, numbness, speech changes, confusion or dizziness.
Whether it is triggered by coughing, bending, exercise, screens, alcohol, sleep changes or missed meals.
Which medicines you have taken.

Depending on your symptoms, they may check your blood pressure, temperature, eye symptoms, neurological signs, sinuses, medication use, migraine history and whether you need an eye assessment or specialist referral.