Eyes Burn After Riding

[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?

[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.