Strange effect on my eye

[Lycra Man]

Last Saturday I rode the Willy Warmer 200k Audax ride. It was cold, but dry. After the half way point at Hungerford, my left eye was not focussing properly, and the right hand half of the vision in my left eye was very blurred, and the rest of the vision was slightly blurred. The left eye was also quite sore. My right eye was OK.

I have experienced this once before, when I rode from home (near Aylesbury) to Bristol, in February about three years ago. It was cold, and there was bright sunlight that day, which had a strobe effect on my left eye through the bare trees. At the time I thought it was the strobe effect causing the problem.

In both cases my vision returned to normal the following day.

Can anyone confirm that this condition is caused by cold air?

Is there an easy solution (other than not riding on cold days) such as wearing something over my regular spectacles?

Could there be any lasting effect or damage?

Thanks in advance.

Lycra Man

[border-rider]

It's the cold

No long-term effects that I've found

[redshift]

Mr Shifty has slow accommodation in one eye on cold days, and I'm starting to get something similar, especially if I work at fixed focal distance for long times - computers or tv monitors at work mean that happens quite a bit.  Changing from close work to distance takes a little longer for my right eye.  When I had an eye test back in September I asked about it, and was basically informed that it's just anno domini.  The lens stiffens or the muscles get weaker, or both, as you get older.  Get an eye test and have it checked if you're at all bothered by it, but it may be the same thing.

[hellymedic]

Get thee to a doctor!
Some things that affect half an eye's vision have their cause outside the eye, in the brain, for example.
If all the vision in the left eye had been affected, I might be less concerned.

[Greenbank]

Last Saturday I rode the Willy Warmer 200k Audax ride. It was cold, but dry. After the half way point at Hungerford, my left eye was not focussing properly, and the right hand half of the vision in my left eye was very blurred, and the rest of the vision was slightly blurred. The left eye was also quite sore. My right eye was OK.

Exactly the same thing happened to my friend on the Willy Warmer, but in both eyes at the same time. No problems on the outward leg but his eyes were very bloodshot, and sore, by Winnersh and he was having trouble focusing fully. By the time it got dark he was having to sit on my wheel and follow my rear light and not able to see much else.

After finishing it took about an hour for him to feel happy enough to drive home (I would have if he'd decided he wasn't up to it), luckily we spent this time recuperating in the nearby pub in Chalfont St Peter.

Can anyone confirm that this condition is caused by cold air?

Almost certainly is.

Is there an easy solution (other than not riding on cold days) such as wearing something over my regular spectacles?

He was wearing clear-lensed cycling glasses but I'm guessing they weren't full enough and the air was funneled around them into the top and bottom of the eyes. This maybe what's happening with your glasses too. He's been looking for some (non-prescription) cycling glasses with larger lenses and possibly experimenting with not wearing them at all.

My guess is that a small gap around the glasses causes a much faster jet of air over the eyes. A wider gap, or no glasses at all, results in a slower airflow and no problems.

I had no problems riding in my normal glasses (I wore them all day) although I'm probably used to it (I used to ride a motorbike so maybe my eyes are just used to fast moving air). Also, my glasses are quite small so the air won't be funneled as fast into the top/bottom of my eyes.

You could look for something to cover them up, or consider some prescription inserts in proper cycling glasses from www.optilabs.co.uk. (Although the Optilabs website is playing up at the moment.)

I've got a pair of prescription sunglasses from them (the Rapide frame which fits nice and flush against my face stopping the air getting to my eyes) but I'm guessing they'd look odd with clear rather than tinted/mirrored lenses. Have a look through the different frame styles (ignore what sports they're associated with as you just want something that may work).

[Hillbilly]

Thread resurrection.

I experienced blurred/foggy vision on a 200km ride yesterday, which made the last two hours (riding in the dark) difficult as not only was my vision blurred but it had the effect of producing halos around light sources (oncoming car lights, street lights etc).  Was temporary, as fine now, but at the time felt like a risk to continue riding (especially given the terrain, with steep descents).  For reference, temperature was around 2C and came on during the dark (was fine during the day), wet roads meant the front lights were less effective than usual (not scattering back towards me as much as in dry conditions), which made me wonder if the effect was due to a combination of dry eyes and also strain from focussing on the road trying to discern where it stopped and the verge began.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to help prevent or minimise the effect.  I can think of using glasses with more covering, but is there anything else (eye drops spring to mind?)

[dave r]

Thread resurrection.

I experienced blurred/foggy vision on a 200km ride yesterday, which made the last two hours (riding in the dark) difficult as not only was my vision blurred but it had the effect of producing halos around light sources (oncoming car lights, street lights etc).  Was temporary, as fine now, but at the time felt like a risk to continue riding (especially given the terrain, with steep descents).  For reference, temperature was around 2C and came on during the dark (was fine during the day), wet roads meant the front lights were less effective than usual (not scattering back towards me as much as in dry conditions), which made me wonder if the effect was due to a combination of dry eyes and also strain from focussing on the road trying to discern where it stopped and the verge began.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to help prevent or minimise the effect.  I can think of using glasses with more covering, but is there anything else (eye drops spring to mind?)

I'm wondering how much is the cold and how much is down to tiredness? Personally I find I don't normally have problems with eyes and the cold, but if I'm very tired I can get effects similar to Hillbilly's. 

[rogerzilla]

Dehydration can cause the soft focus halo effect.  If you're over 40 and get this often, have an opthalmologist or good optician check your eyes.  Various eye diseases have this as a symptom too.  Some are curable.