What you eat has as much to do with your eye health as your general health. Too much salt, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and tyramine (found in aged cheeses, smoked fish, and red wine) in your diet can trigger migraines, so it’s best to avoid foods and beverages that contain these. For good nutrition and eye health, healthy eating habits like the Mediterranean diet — rich in green vegetables and fish — can help. These foods prevent chronic age-related diseases like dry eye syndrome, which is a factor in headaches. It’s no wonder, then, that modern weight loss plans these days focus on the fiber- and protein-rich foods featured in Mediterranean diets. These fitness plans also recommend tracking what you eat so you eat with more awareness, avoid headache-triggering foods, and manage intake, especially for beverages like coffee. By being more intentional about your nutrition, you can maintain your eye health and keep vision-related headaches at bay.

Aside from ensuring you have the right eyewear and prescription, you should also take the time to change certain lifestyle habits — like getting enough sleep. Studies have found that poor sleep adds to the risk of developing migraines. At the same time, insomnia prevalence among subjects with probable migraine is higher than in subjects with no headaches. Overall, lower quality of life, increased stress levels, and psychiatric comorbidities have been highlighted among migraine sufferers with sleep disorders. Getting good quality sleep can effectively treat migraine attacks. Be sure to keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool, and avoid phones, tablets, or televisions in the area. Of course, good sleep will also maintain your eye health, as lack of sleep is associated with having dry, itchy, or bloodshot eyes that can lead to eye infections.

Finally, it’s important not to overlook your migraine symptoms before it’s too late. While lifestyle modifications can help, you may need to take proper medication or medical treatment to eliminate your migraines. Your doctor may prescribe medications to use at the onset of a migraine episode, which can help stop the pain before it gets worse. Alternatively, your doctor may recommend daily medications to reduce the frequency of your migraine episodes. Most medication for migraine treatment can be acquired over-the-counter, such as aspirin and ibuprofen like Advil. Still, you should be wary about using OTC medications and inform your doctor when you do so. Overusing OTC medications may lead to a rebound headache or even dependency.

Ultimately, it’s crucial that you don’t take your vision and eye health for granted, as they are more connected to your head health than you may expect. Spotting symptoms and signs as early as possible can help you treat migraines and reduce the risk of developing more severe health conditions. Adults with migraines are more likely to get serious conditions such as heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and seizures, so taking the necessary steps to avoid vision problems and triggering migraine symptoms may just save your life.