There are several reasons why you might get a headache with your existing sunglasses.
This article discussed some common causes. Depending on their nature, it may be possible for you to resolve them quickly and cost-effectively, while others may require professional help by your optometrist.
Headache due to the lenses of your sunglasses
Lenses not dark enough
The darkness of the lenses may not be suited to you.
For example, if your eyes are photosensitive, ie: you find the glare from the sun almost intolerable, your existing sunglasses may not be dark enough. Take a look at our extra dark sunglasses with category 4 lenses or those polarised grey lenses - they will reduce the glare that you are currently experiencing.
Poor quality lenses
Low budget sunglasses often have lenses that are not of optical quality so the image you see through them can be slightly distorted and variable across the surface of the lens. The polarisation in cheap polarised lenses can lead to patterning when you are viewing a mobile phone, again a possible cause of headaches.
Click here to see our range of optical quality clip-on sunglasses.
Incorrect prescription
If you have sunglasses with prescription lenses, it may be that the prescription itself is not right for your current optical requirements.
Your eyes may have changed since your prescription was last measured, causing eyestrain and headaches, typically felt at the back of your head.
In some cases, the prescribed lenses were not made correctly. A fairly common occurrence is that the optical centres are slightly misaligned, which may be caused by an incorrect pupillary distance.
Take your prescription sunglasses to your optician and explain the problems that you are experiencing. They can examine the lenses with special equipment and recheck your pupillary distance. If your sunglasses were purchased over 2 years ago, they will advise you to get a prescription test.
Lens colour not suiting you
You may not get on well with the colour of the lenses in your existing sunglasses. For example, brown, copper, or yellow lenses make the colours more vivid and the intensity of the colours may be too much for you.
Choose grey tinted lenses for a neutral effect on your colour perception.
For more information, see our lens colour guide.
Headache due to peripheral glare
Conventional designs of sunglasses let in peripheral glare at the top and sides. This is especially true with fashion sunglasses that have a flat front to the frame.
However, even top brands of wraparound sunglasses and cycling glasses still let in glare around the edges of the lenses.
Our 7eye AirShield sunglasses block peripheral glare due to the gasket (also called an eye cup). They are ideal for photophobia sufferers.
Headache due to frame pinching
It may be that the ear rests of your existing sunglasses are pinching your head.
The arms of many wraparound sunglasses are springy and some rely on gripping the sides of your head at the point where the ear rests touch in order to stay firmly on your head.
If you get headaches from excessive frame tension, choose one of the 7eye AirShield or Ziena glasses that have adjustable temple ends. You can bend them to maximise comfort and avoid any undesirable pressure on the sides of your head.
The frames that have this adjustable feature are 7eye Ventus, 7eye Panhead, Ziena Kai, and Ziena Marina.
Headache due to unbalanced frame
Another cause of headaches is when sunglasses or glasses are unbalanced with the result that you feel too much weight resting on the bridge of your nose.
You can solve this by wearing any of the Ziena glasses, which have separate, adjustable nose pads rather than a moulded plastic rest.
On Ziena glasses, you can loosen or tighten the nose bridge width, using the adjustable nose pads. This will change the balance of the glasses and can reduce the feeling of excessive weight on your nose.