Red Eye/ Bloodshot Eye after workout cardio exercise

[tripandglide]

I'm 26 y/o 135lbs and I wear contacts. I clean solution daily.

I work out on my stationary bike for 120 minutes at a speed of 8mph-11mph. It doesn't seem like a hard exercise and my heart rate only goes up to 110 bpm when I'm over 10mph and around 85-90 at less then 10mph. After my exercise I have red eyes or bloodshot eyes. It's really just my right eye. It's hardly noticeable in my left eye.

Here is a picture of my right eye.

http://www.tripandglide.net/bloodshot.JPG

There is very light sore pain when I move my eye, but it's not really noticeable until the next day.

My eyes don't fee dry and I drink and stay hydrated during the exercise.

My last blood pressure reading was yesterday at Walmart and it was 115/68 with a heart beat at 59 bpm. It was in the morning and not after the exercise. I am unable to test directly after the exercise.

So what's wrong with my eye?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[flossy93]

You could try washing your face thoroughly before exercising.  That should prevent any ingredients in your face lotion from getting into your eyes from sweating.  

If you still have the same symptoms as before, you can narrow it down to the exercise rather than a surface irritation.  If you want to be REALLY sure, wash your face and use a headband that keeps all sweat from your workout out of your eyes.

You didn't say which Oil of Olay formulation you are using on your face, but several of them have ingredients which are not supposed to get into the eyes.

Your comment about 'waking up and can barely see' is concerning. Please see an ophthalmologist if the problem persists and isn't solved by keeping workout sweat out of your eyes and exercising with a clean, lotion-free face.    

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[Benjaminbenjamin]

I'm also getting this - very painful. Its kind of sore after the workout but not really bad. It's after I wake up. I'll go to bed and wake up and I can barely see. Light and having to focus hurts very bad. It's been getting worse over the last month. It feels like a combination of strain and irritation. It hurts for about an hour and then calms down.

I am also using oil of Olay on my face and I'm wondering if that is irritating my eyes when I sweat.

[BassPlayer1966]

Hello, I get these same symptoms and was wondering if you found out what was causing your flare up?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[BillyJ2308]

Just a quick note to say that I also am experiencing the red eye issue that you reported - I only seem to get it on the exercise bike (have just started using it) after many months of other cardio-based exercise (treadmill etc) where I havent experienced anything like this. Did you get a diagnosis for your problem ? Cheers, Bill

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

OKay so that leave the other 1%.

You start by an examination by an ophthalmologist, Eye MD. Find one near you at www.aao.org     those were excellent pictures you sent. The most common thing that would cause an eye that looks like that would be an "episcleritis" you can search that term.  I have see one case were the inflammation was exercise induced perhaps due to higher blood pressure, dilation of the blood vesses with exercise and that in epislceritis the blood vessels are more irritable.

JCH MD

[tripandglide]

I haven't wore my contacts since this started happening. My eyes did clear up but then when I exercised again, the same thing happened. I was wearing my glasses this last time. So, it can't be my contacts causing it.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Not much mystery here. In most cases (99%) its the contact lens causing irritation to the contacts.

Stop wearing the contacts and make an appointment to see an ophthalmologist in 3-4 weeks.

JCH MD