Headaches may indicate various health troubles inside the body, some of which may be known but others are still unknown. Headache above the right eye may indicate a problem in the nerves, which may be located in or around the eye. The pain may also be caused by a number of factors such as infections, increase in intracranial pressure and impaired blood vessels. In these instances, it is advisable to call your healthcare provider to assess the situation and get the appropriate management.

Causes of Headache Above the Right Eye

Most commonly, causes of headache above right eye are located in the eye itself such as irritation, infection, a wound, or an existing eye disease like glaucoma or inflammation of the conjunctiva. Tenderness of the sinuses and allergies can be very irritating, and may also be a cause for headache or pain in the eye. Below are some possible causes for headache above your right eye: 

1. Cluster Headache

Cluster headaches, as the name implies, are extreme, sharp, pricking pain that occur on a common area around the head, which includes above the right eye. They tend to recur several times a day for weeks to months. According to the National Institutes of Health, cluster headaches occur more commonly in men than in women. It is not known as to what causes the headache but it is believed to be connected to abnormal regulation of hormones called histamine and serotonin. Cluster headaches may be precipitated by certain foods, medications, exertion, bright light, heat, or alcohol and smoking cigarettes. 

2. Migraine

Persistent headache above right eye may be caused by migraine, and result in relentless dysfunction of the nerves if treatment is not done immediately. Other symptoms also include vomiting, confusion nausea and numbness. Watch the following video for home remedies to relieve migraine:

3. Sinus Infection Headache

Sinuses are cavities in the skull located near the eyes. The area within the surrounding of the eye and the sinuses as well can be infected by microorganisms and viruses thus resulting in headache.

Generally, sinus pain is experienced on both sides of the face, and often worst around the eyes or near the cheekbones. Being in a cool surrounding often makes the pain worse; a heating pad or warm compresses often help. Sinus headaches respond well to Tylenol or ibuprofen. The video below provides more remedies:

4. Glaucoma

The pain in glaucoma is caused by the increase in pressure in the eye. It can be caused by the failure of the eye fluid (aqueous humor) to drain due to either a blockage or pressure of your iris pushing against your lens. However, to date the main cause of glaucoma has not yet been identified. 

5. Blood Vessel Disorders

Problems in blood vessels near the eye or the nerves connected to the eye may also cause headaches. An inflammation of the temporal artery, which is located near the eye on the side of the head may occur, known as giant cell arteritis or simply temporal arteritis. An abnormal dilatation of a blood vessel due to the weakening of a vessel wall is called aneurysm. If an aneurysm occurs near the nerves of the eye, it may cause pain due to the pressure created by the enlargement of the blood vessel, which may eventually cause the vessel to rupture and become a medical emergency. 

6. Increased Skull Pressure

Increased intracranial pressure will most likely result in headache though it may cause a more confined pain in close proximity to the eye. Any bleeding or abnormal growth that occupies space inside the skull will definitely increase the pressure within because the skull is an inflexible enclosure. An explicit example would be a meningioma or an abnormally growing tumor inside the meninges or covering of the brain. 

7. Other Causes

There are other causative factors that cause headache above right eye, such as internal pains, injury, allergies, irritation, and inflammation of the conjunctiva. To determine the exact cause and treatment, make an appointment with your doctor. 

Additional Notes on the Importance of Seeking Medical Help 

The experts suggest that, once a headache, especially above the right eye or anywhere above the neck for that matter, is experienced, one must see a primary health physician immediately to prevent chronic pain or complications.

Headache above the right eye is sometimes difficult to diagnose because of the possible variations among different people and among certain conditions. To prevent from guessing the cause of headache above the right eye, experts recommend consulting a doctor. The doctor will assess and evaluate the origin of the pain being experienced. Then appropriate medications will be prescribed and further medical interventions recommended to mitigate the pain.

• Be conscientious. It is best to be careful that no complications will arise if ever the problem is undiagnosed and untreated by a health care provider.
• Refrain from guessing possible causes of the headache or from self-medication especially when the nature of the problem is undetermined.
• Always consult the doctor and always follow doctor’s orders.