Migraine and dry eye: study shows that there may be a relationship

According to research published in the medical journal JAMA Ophthalmology , the patients who suffer from migraine have a 20% greater chance of having another condition called dry eye syndrome .

One study evaluated the medical reports of about 73,000 people over 10 years. The results show that many people who reported suffering from dry eye syndrome were also affected by headaches.

The condition is aggravated with age. But not only.

While men over 65 years old had 2 times more incidence of dry eye with migraine, among them the numbers were higher, reaching almost 3 times more chances.

This proves that in both men and women, it is important to always be on the alert for any symptoms.

What is dry eye?

Dry eye syndrome, in fact, is a condition that affects the production of tear glands, leaving them insufficient to keep the eyes lubricated and hydrated.

Over time, the lack of tears causes dry eyes, and can even cause problems with vision.

The condition is a more common problem among the elderly, but currently it is estimated that up to 34% of the population suffers from this condition, because, besides them, those who wear contact lenses or spend many hours in air-conditioned environments, for example, are more susceptible.

How can dry eye and migraine be linked?

So, now that you have a sense of what dry eye syndrome is, you need to understand how these two things are connected.

To understand this, we return to the study, because, according to its authors, inflammation caused by dry eye can cause loss of cell levels and, therefore, headaches.

The researchers also reinforce that the dryness of the eye influences the nervous system, increasing the chances of having migraine.

However, the study carried out cannot yet prove this relationship, but it already serves as an alert for doctors, who must be attentive to any symptomatic reports, assessing the presence of both.

Read more: Headache (headache): what is it, tension, cluster, chronic, ICD


Sometimes, health conditions and symptoms can be related without the patient being aware of it. Therefore, studies verifying the incidence of associated conditions are necessary.

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