Sudden extreme Eye burn/stinging when riding- Dry Eyes...? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Sudden extreme Eye burn/stinging when riding- Dry Eyes...?

Veej

Well-known member
Saturday night coming home from the Wasaga Beach rally (which was a blast) nearing home after a 2 hour ride, on the 401 and McCowen area there was a bit light rain showers coming down, very light.

All of a sudden my both eyes started stinging quite extreme and sudden! it was getting harder and harder keep them open I was blinking like crazy to just keep them open, had to slow down and stop on the shoulder of the express lane as it was becoming somewhat dangerous since I was having a hard time keeping them open. I stopped and closed them both hard and tears started streaming out, after a bit I was fine and got off the exit as I was nearing home. Nothing got into my eyes I had my night glasses on with a open beanie helmet.

I asked my wife's cousin who is an Ophthalmologist what she thought of this, she either something got into my eyes, but nothing did as I would have known, so she said your eyes must have got so dry and from the ride therefore started stinging/burning and that as a natural defense to the dryness the eyes will start producing tears/liquid to combat the dryness in abundance hence when I stopped and closed my eyes they started watering immediately.

This happened to me earlier this year as well but only one eye and briefly not both eyes. She recommended a dry eye solution Systane Ultra Dry Eye Ointment, she told me to stay away from the Visine product line as they have a chemical in it that makes you dependent on using it constantly.

I told her later that evening when washing my face I had the same burn happen to the eyes after splashing water on my face, she said water is also a culprit, it drys your eyes from the natural moisture your eyes create, I thought water would do the opposite and hydrate but no it robs your eyes of the moisture. Perhaps the light rain got into my goggles and created the burn to my already dry eyes due to the long ride?

Anyone ever have this issue while riding?
 
Diesel fuel fumes or road spray from your front wheel? Stuff sticks to your skin, sweat and rain water carries it into your eyes, stings like mad, your eyes react and tear up to flush it away.

... sitting behind a 2-stroke burning race fuel and premix will do the same thing :| after an event it's like flash backs from the 60's
 
that's what I'm thinking
vapour or liquid from something else on the road
washer fluid maybe?
 
Did you put sunscreen on your face during the day? Moisture from rain and/or sweat can carry it to your eyes and the wind from riding gets it right in, and it will sting.
 
Yep I was thinking fumes also, as just riding I've never had this happen to me and the funny thing is it both times it has happened it has occurred on the same stretch on the 401 east bound between McCowen rd and Morningside.

I'm thinking either fumes from a truck or something is being blown towards me. I know for sure on the 401 between McCowen and Markham east bound there is a wind tunnel effect where my bike gets pushed around especially on the express lane. Now I'm thinking that wind must have picked something like fumes or chemical mist up and pushed it towards me.

My riding glasses are really good it holds the wind out, I've been using this brand for last 4-6 years on my second pair, they're called Bobster Goggles great if you wearing a beanie helmet, comes with day and night lenses.
 
that's what I'm thinking
vapour or liquid from something else on the road
washer fluid maybe?


Washer Fluid? never thought of that, I assume you mean car's spray blown over over my face, makes sense especially in that stretch where the wind is always blowing from south to north.

I now really think it is that stretch and wind effect carrying fumes/chemicals onto my face, cause to only happen along that area twice there is no other reasoning on this. Funny never put the location into consideration of both these occurrences, it has to be the wind blowing something onto me.

Thanks for the input guys I think I found my answer! :)
 
Washer Fluid? never thought of that, I assume you mean car's spray blown over over my face, makes sense especially in that stretch where the wind is always blowing from south to north.

I now really think it is that stretch and wind effect carrying fumes/chemicals onto my face, cause to only happen along that area twice there is no other reasoning on this. Funny never put the location into consideration of both these occurrences, it has to be the wind blowing something onto me.

Thanks for the input guys I think I found my answer! :)

May I ask the answer is?. Hopefully it came from a medical professional. Need I say more? Of course not.
 
who needs medical professionals
when you have the collective brilliance of GTAM ?

next up: DIY vasectomy
 
Crap on your face ends up in your eyes when you either sweat a lot while riding, or (as you mentioned) it starts to rain and it gets carried there by such.

Has happened to motorcyclists forever and a day.
 
who needs medical professionals
when you have the collective brilliance of GTAM ?

next up: DIY vasectomy

You always have a great sense of humour. :) Thanks from Dr. Cycling. (Doctor from University of Silly Walks)
 
its called chemtrails, esp after the rain... or could be other pollutants.

I have a coworker who would randomly get pain in his eyes, had to close them and they would tear up. This seemed to happen a while after he was near any cigarette smoke and on dry/humid days. He got some prescription eye drops to help.
 
You always have a great sense of humour. :) Thanks from Dr. Cycling. (Doctor from University of Silly Walks)

thanks

did your grad ceremony look like this?

[video=youtube;7_PzMSw6jZo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=7_PzMSw6jZo[/video]

sorry OP....hope your eyes are feeling better
 
I encounter a similar problem from time to time, riding home from work. Once the stinging starts its only a matter of time before one (or both) eyes clamp shut. Extreme runny nose too. Human skin lubricates itself via sebaceous glands. It's oily, traps dirt and mixes with sweat. Eyeballs hate the stuff. Keep some paper towel handy to blot the stuff off eyelids, brow and forehead (in that order) before you put your helmet on. I find it more of a problem now that I'm older.

Eyelids have their own special glands (dozens apparently) that help reduce evaporation and are probably not working as well later in day, especially if that day was hot/sunny.
 
I encounter a similar problem from time to time, riding home from work. Once the stinging starts its only a matter of time before one (or both) eyes clamp shut. Extreme runny nose too. Human skin lubricates itself via sebaceous glands. It's oily, traps dirt and mixes with sweat. Eyeballs hate the stuff. Keep some paper towel handy to blot the stuff off eyelids, brow and forehead (in that order) before you put your helmet on. I find it more of a problem now that I'm older.

Eyelids have their own special glands (dozens apparently) that help reduce evaporation and are probably not working as well later in day, especially if that day was hot/sunny.


Yes perhaps the light rain drizzle carried the lubricant with sweat and dirt from my forhead under my goggles and into my eyes. Thanks for the advice. :)
 
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Saturday night coming home from the Wasaga Beach rally (which was a blast) nearing home after a 2 hour ride, on the 401 and McCowen area there was a bit light rain showers coming down, very light.

All of a sudden my both eyes started stinging quite extreme and sudden! it was getting harder and harder keep them open I was blinking like crazy to just keep them open, had to slow down and stop on the shoulder of the express lane as it was becoming somewhat dangerous since I was having a hard time keeping them open. I stopped and closed them both hard and tears started streaming out, after a bit I was fine and got off the exit as I was nearing home. Nothing got into my eyes I had my night glasses on with a open beanie helmet.

I asked my wife's cousin who is an Ophthalmologist what she thought of this, she either something got into my eyes, but nothing did as I would have known, so she said your eyes must have got so dry and from the ride therefore started stinging/burning and that as a natural defense to the dryness the eyes will start producing tears/liquid to combat the dryness in abundance hence when I stopped and closed my eyes they started watering immediately.

This happened to me earlier this year as well but only one eye and briefly not both eyes. She recommended a dry eye solution Systane Ultra Dry Eye Ointment, she told me to stay away from the Visine product line as they have a chemical in it that makes you dependent on using it constantly.

I told her later that evening when washing my face I had the same burn happen to the eyes after splashing water on my face, she said water is also a culprit, it drys your eyes from the natural moisture your eyes create, I thought water would do the opposite and hydrate but no it robs your eyes of the moisture. Perhaps the light rain got into my goggles and created the burn to my already dry eyes due to the long ride?

Anyone ever have this issue while riding?

Welcome to the world of Dry eyes!!

I get it when Asleep...pain's enough to wake me up..and then blurry vision for 24 hrs...

use that SYSTANE solution your doc prescribed...a warm cloth over your eyes helps stimulate tear glands...
 
The same thing happened to me once about 3 years ago. I was headed south on Woodbine avenue, about 1km north of Stouffville Rd when my eyes caught fire -- in about 15 seconds I couldn't open them -- came on so fast it was all I could do to get off the road. I was fine after about 10 minutes, eyes still a little irritated but functioning OK.

I never figured out what happened, it never happened again.
 
I have had a similar experience but with my arms. I was riding with my jacket off arms exposed, one of those recent hot humid days. On the highway some jerk in front of me decided to over sprayed their windshield and all that blew onto me. Well I am guessing the fluid and the sunscreen on my arms mixed and caused a rash and itching since then.
 
I have had a similar experience but with my arms. I was riding with my jacket off arms exposed, one of those recent hot humid days. On the highway some jerk in front of me decided to over sprayed their windshield and all that blew onto me. Well I am guessing the fluid and the sunscreen on my arms mixed and caused a rash and itching since then.

Beats the heck out of being sprayed by a large paper cup full of pee chucked out of a transport truck window.
 

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