The Beacon Message Board

......When I go for a long ride in cold weather my vision goes somewhat foggy. It looks like mist/haze but it actually cloudy inside my cornea. My wife Nicky said she could see it when I got home today. It's now gone away, so it's not permanent or problematic.

Google seems to suggest it's a combination of dehydration effects, cold winds and the fact that I've had laser surgery on my eyes.

Just wondered if anyone else as come across this personally or heard of it?

Never looked for it but takes a while for eyes to recover and read comfortably. I thought it was the drying effect of the wind. Never tried but it feels like the sort of thing Optrex would solve.

I suggest calling into the opticians for a opinion; self diagnosis can be false economy.

I've had it happen 3x,in each case at over 300 miles in a 24hr TT in summer so not due to cold.Apparently when concentrating the blink rate drops so the corneal dehydration theory is probably correct.

I've had something similar where I get blurred vision which momentarily clears when I blink and then returns to blurred again shortly afterwards. Didn't get it whilst I haven't been riding my bike, so I would assume that the dehydrating effects of cycling play a big part.
My optician told me that I had dry eyes....google it, I think it's fairly common (but a bit worrying when it first happens).

Rod Goodfellow wrote:I've had it happen 3x,in each case at over 300 miles in a 24hr TT in summer so not due to cold.Apparently when concentrating the blink rate drops so the corneal dehydration theory is probably correct.

Quite correct. For long rides I usually a bottle of eye drop solution and avoid contact lenses. Like James, I too suffer in cold conditions.

"If poetry is like an orgasm, an academic can be likened to someone who studies the passion-stains on the bedsheets." — Irving Layton

I like it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never suffered with it, but I know many who have had similar problems at high altitudes, where it is thought to be related to very dry air, cold air , and hypobaric hypoxia. It resolves without treatment upon descent. I believe it is more prevalent in people who have had laser refractive eye surgery, possibly due to related changes within the cornea stroma.

The use of artificial tear eye drops such as Hypromellose or Isopto plain are a good idea. They contain a hygroscopic polymer which absorbs and swells with water, so as well as providing an extended lubrication time it also provides a slightly thicker tear film which offers added protection. Cannot be used with contact lenses I believe.

Clive wrote:Cannot be used with contact lenses I believe.

It is now possible to use specific drops designed for contact lenses as a method re-wetting. Re-wetting drops lubricate the eye and hydrate the contact lens.

It is also possible to get preservative free Hypromellose. I think it is the addition of the preservative, which can discolour some contact lenses, that is the contra indication.