Eyes Burn After Riding

[Over50Newbie]

I don't know if it is allergies or what, but this always seem to happen in the Spring...

Today, I did a 2 hour windy ride and since then my eyes are burning, itchy, and red.

I came home and put an iced towel on them and they felt better, but then tonight they hurt and itch again.

I try not to rub them, but I can't seem to help it.

I am riding again tomorrow and I pretty much know this will probably happen again.

By summer, I can ride all day with no problems, so I'm wondering if it is a particular tree that is in bloom right now, or some type of plant pollen that is in the air only in the Spring.

I've been thinking of buying some eye drops, but I have had cataract surgery in both eyes, so I am not sure if that makes a differerence on what type of eye drops I can use.

Any suggestions?

Lynette

[OakLeaf]

If it's seasonal, it most likely is pollen (possibly mold, but more likely pollen in the spring).

Washing your face after a ride will help - as you've been doing. Also wash your eyes, either with an eye wash cup you can get in the drugstore, or just by streaming sterile saline into your eyes.

Pollens will build up on your eyelashes and face even when you're not riding, so it's a good practice to rinse your face first thing in the morning and last thing before you go to sleep - towel off your hair with a damp towel before you go to sleep (or in the morning, if you usually wash your hair at night) - and change your pillowcase often, even daily if it's really bad.

Ask your ophthalmologist if there are drops you can't use. You could also try treating your allergies systemically with OTC antihistamines, but if you're not having other symptoms besides mild conjunctivitis, that's probably overkill.

[westtexas]

I have the same issue. I don't have allergies, my eyes are just really dry. And living in the desert doesn't help (helllooo moving back to the Swamp in 3 weeks!). I don't know where you live, but relative humidity outside could be to blame as much as crap flying in your eyes (allergens, dust, etc.)

Make sure you are wearing eye protection at all times - sunglasses are obvious, but if you are riding early in the morning or late at night and don't need them, then at least get some clear lenses to protect your eyes.

Secondly, I have found that using allergy eye drops helps some, but the thing that really makes the difference for me is using a dry-eye relief gel in my eyes at night (I use this even when I don't ride). Alcon makes a good one, but it's pricey. It's simply a gel you put in your eyes right before bed (can't do it any other time since it makes it so you can't see for a bit) and the relief is amazing. In the meantime between riding and bed I use a gel-based eye drop just for moisturizing that really seems to work.

I am not an opthamologist, but I don't see why you couldn't use any of the OTC moisturizing eye products out there. As long as you've healed up from your cataract surgery, it should be ok. And anything opthalmic-OTC is generally benign unless you OD on it. I had a little patient once that had had cataract surgery at a referral hospital (yes, we remove cataracts in animals too!) and she had 3 kinds of drops we put in her eyes three times a day for the last 4 years of her life for allergies, chronic conjunctivitis and dry-eye.

HTH

[malkin]

You've got good sunglasses too, right?

[zoom-zoom]

This time of the year riding makes it feel like someone's tossing handfuls of sand into my face...and my tires are coated in yellow dust that flies up in my face as I roll along. Just a couple more weeks and a few good rains before this allergy madness dissipates.

[ny biker]

I need to use antihistamine eye drops in the spring. Without them, my eyes itch every day due to pollen. The drops help a lot in general. Although during a bike ride on a windy day, nothing stops my eyes from itching.

This year I'm using Alaway. Last year I used Zatidor, but the Alaway is cheaper and has the same ingredients.

About a month ago I did a long ride on a ridiculously windy day and was basically sandblasted by tree pollen for three hours. My eyes were in agony. I stopped at the store on the way home and bought a bottle of Blink eye drops, and I now keep it in my bike bag during spring rides so I can try to clear my eyes out when the pollen is really bad.

[Over50Newbie]

What great ideas - thank you!

So tomorrow I am calling my cataract eye surgeon to ask him if there are any drops/gels that I can't use.

If he gives his okay, then I am going to buy a dry eye gel to put in my eyes at night. I also looked up Alaway online and it sounds perfect for when I get home from riding and my eyes are red, itchy, and hurt. Or maybe I can even put a drop in before I ride to prevent the symptoms altogether?

I'll let you know if these help. And like zoom-zoom said, pretty soon the weather will change and the worst will be over.

Oh - and yes, I always wear sunglasses when riding. :)

Lynette

[airrace]

You've got good sunglasses too, right?

I agree, sunglasses can help a lot in this. They keep the wind and sun away from your eyes. I had the same trouble in spring, but not because of pollen, I simply stressed my eyes to much with the rising or setting sun shining directly into the eyes. As a UV protection, sunglasses can even prevent lifelong seeing problems as well.

[Over50Newbie]

So I have been using both a dry eye gel at night and Alaway during the day and things are a bit better. Not 100% better, but definitely better. :)

Lynette