Blurred Vision after Exercise

This has only happened a couple of times - first time about 6 months ago and then again tonight.  Both times, I'd worked very hard - the first running 10k fartlek but really pushing it and tonight after a spin class.  About 15 mins after exercise, I notice part of my vision is blurred - a bit just off centre , with a couple of squiggly line type things.  Very disorienting, but it goes after about an hour.  Any ideas?  Any others have experienced this?

Comments

  • yep I get blurry vision if I'm pushing myself exercising - reckon it's bp related as I have low bp - vision returns to normal when I cool down though.

    If yours persists it might be worth a check-up by your GP?

  • I would suggest its to do with heat, dehydration and possibly blood sugar levels.

  • JJ2JJ2 ✭✭✭
    Sounds like it could be migraine. Do you get a headache or have you or anyone in the family had migraine before?
  • Just had same problem myself and wondered if it might be temporary Diabetes. May invest in a blood pressure monitor now. Never thought of that possibility.
  • Simbux

    Sometimes I get fuzzy vision after exercise and sometimes light headed, this does go after a short period, but for me I think it is low blood pressure.

    When I last had it checked, my rested heart rate was around 42, which I was told was quite low.

    As suggested by others, get yourself checked over, in case it's something completely different.

  • Agree about migraine, with migraine you often can get an "aura" which is like a visual disturbance of squigly lines or colours affecting part of your vision. This usually precedes the migraine headache but can sometimes be the only symptom (as is the case with me). I tend to also get this after tough workouts, usually when I've been in a very high HR range for a long period of time. I don't think it's anything to worry about. But as always, if you're concerned about it, get to your GP and have yourself checked out. Try and take a list of times it's happened and what you've been doing, how long for, and whether you've eaten/drunk at the time. This might help you nail it yourself anyway, especially if it's down to blood sugar, electrolytes or dehydration.
  • Thanks for this.   I am experiencing this for the first time right now, after a hard game of netball - having not played for 20 years.  It's reassuring to know that I am not going blind!

  • I get a similar thing on very rare occasions, sometimes after exercise but sometimes just at work, the vision comes back to normal after 30 to 60 minutes.  I don't get full blown migraines but talking to people that do this is often the first sign that they are about to get one.  As others have said if it worries you see a GP as the worry is possibly a trigger for it as well.

  • I experience this occasionally too (including today). I went for a quick 6k run, was fine for 1hr afterwards and then after having a cup of tea had the symptoms described here (blurry vision, squiggly lines, then headache) and can almost certainly say with me it is a combination of a hot workout with not enough water and/or too much tea/coffee. I will check out my blood pressure but I recommend keeping hydrated and keeping off the teas and coffees as a starter.
  • glad it's not just me. half way up the 4th hard hill on evening club run (had been out in the morning too) It was like looking through a kaliedescope. Was definately running on empty.

    As soon as I started cooling down it was back to normal, and the first thing I reached for in the fridge was a jar of jam with a big spoon, somethign I never do, so body was tellign me to get some sugar in.

  • If that's not the early stages of a migraine I'll eat my hat.

    I've suffered from migraines on and off since my early teens and I have learned that hard exercise can trigger them: both full-blown and (more often) just the aura stage that you describe. I have found that I can miminise their occurrence by taking care to be well hydrated and to make sure that I have had a snack before running. I had a rash of them last year when I started doing a hard interval session at lunchtimes but having a mid-morning snack made a big difference.

    M.

  • I sometimes get exercise-induced migraine, usually when I've pushed very hard and not been properly hydrated. Mine starts with visual disturbances and develops into a dehabilitating headache within about 30 minutes, if I can get some painkillers and an electrolyte drink when I first notice my vision going funny then the migraine is usually less severe.

    BUT please go and see your GP to get a proper diagnosis.

  • This is happening to me now. Very worrying. getting worse. Left eye.
  • Hi All,

    I am feeling the same after intense weight training. I am suffering from high BP and I think that may be the reason.

    I don’t think dehydration and glycogen has anything to do  with it as I do drink water and take glucose after workout. The funny thing is that it has started happening only recently and I am doing weight training from a year now.

    Also, I had my BP checked last week and it was 130(higher )/100(lower), still not perfect but better than before.

    I don’t want to quit training so I will see my Doc soon!!!

     

  • My husband had some stress over family health and one day his vision in one eye became blurred when looking straight ahead, it was ok when he turned his head to side. Anyway it turned out a blood vessel had burst and it affected the muscle in the eye.

     Jjust a thought if you're exercising and it putting stress on these muscles around the eye, this could happen ??it  took 6 months for this problem to right itself !

  • Did anyone find out anymore about this? Just noticed it the first time myself after a morning run. Five km's fairly solid pace followed by some rowing, then came home, showered and noticed it. Curiously it was the same squiggles in both eyes. Blood sugar should have been ok as I had some peach slices before I went and I don't suffer fromdiabetes (that I know of).
  • orapidrunorapidrun ✭✭✭

    The squiggly line thing is what makes up sleepy dust in your eyes eventually and not to be worried about, or so I have believed for ever.

  • I'm not so sure. I generally stay pretty hydrated and had water with me. The fact it's in both eyes seems to suggest it's coming from the brain? I also got the headache the guy's are describing above within another half hour. I had even dropped some electrolytes and nurofen after reading the post. Curious. I guess I'm trying to rule out mini-strokes etc. Might go and see the doc anyway and see what they say.

     

  • As others have said, it sounds like the aura phase of a migraine - google 'scintillating scotoma'. I used to get this regularly (2-3 times a month), sometimes when my blood sugar was low but other times there wasn't an obvious explanation. I had an MRI scan (all clear) then went on medication (beta blockers) to try and stop it happening but didn't like the side effects so decided to just live with them instead. I have no idea if this is related, and the doctor doesn't seem to know either, but about 18 months ago I discovered I was anaemic and started taking iron tablets. Since then, I get the visual thing about once every 3 months if that.

  • Just had this after a very hard PT session in the Gym.

    Was a tad concerned but spoke to my trainer and its due to the body being worked so hard the brain has not had all the oxygen it needs to balance the body out correctly. So it basically dials down some areas of the body, one being vision which becomes impaired until you have got your oxygen flow back to normal around the body.

  • Aah I got that in my last duathlon heading out onto the last run. Quite tricky running through transition and seeing double of everything. It settled down in the race though.
  • I only get a couple of the visual disturbance/squiggle and again tonight had to turn back home in car as just couldn't risk the headache that can follow. I get vision disturbance - lose 'peripheral' vision and if I don't get some paracetamol and large drink in then almighty migraine follows. For me , just grateful

    I get the squiggly eye warning as only had the headache once and do not want it ever again !! Def dehydration causal factor - don't forget that your fluid requirements vary considerably - normal is approx 35-40ml/kg so exercising on top of 'normal' sig increases these requirements
  • I had my first episode of slight loss (lasting 40 minutes) and flashing in May after a hard run, then followed by headache.  GP reckoned it was exercised induced Migraine.

    Had a subsequent MRI/brain scan and all OK - specialist was not sure what the cause was but usual suspects were possible: Stress dehydration, etc.  It now only happens during weight training or hard exercise. It could be dehydration which is causing this as each time but not sure.

    I'll keep investigating and update on here when I know more.

  • Just got this after a long, exhausting run. Very relieved to see it's common. For me I can rule out dehydration as it's gone away now and I haven't drank anything.
  • I've suffered from this 3 times. twice after playing football and once in the later stages of the Stirling marathon a few weeks back. Blood pressure was fine, heart rate was fine. I undoubtedly put it down to dehydration. It was suggested to be migraine the first time, but this was ruled out by the docs. Pretty disconcerting when you can't see someone 15ft in front of you with 3 miles of a marathon left to run! 
  • I just experienced similar symptoms (waviness in my peripheral vision, could still see but wouldn't have considered myself safe to drive) about 30 minutes after a high-intensity workout session. They now appear to be clearing after about an hour and lots of water.

    I am a doctor but this post DOES NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL ADVICE. I do however want to say that it's not really a classified medical condition or something that I came across at medical school. I just did a quick literature search to see if there's any research out there.

    Imes RK1, Hoyt WF, J Clin Neuroophthalmol. 1989 Sep;9(3):178-80.
    Exercise-induced transient visual events in young healthy adults.

    This paper (admittedly from nearly 30 years ago) from the, now defunct, journal of neuro-opthalmology goes colourfully through a series of 6 case reports of healthy people (none had a history of epilepsy and only one had a family history of epilepsy) experiencing a variety of visual symptoms after intense exercise.

    The paper points to several other such papers which suggest that these symptoms are quite prevalent (as this thread would suggest) and makes the similarities to visual (or ancephalic) epilepsy, however it draws the conclusion that these such events are benign (not related to a serious underlying neurological or opthalmic disease). That being said, this conclusion was drawn after the subjects in question were reviewed and investigated by neurologists often with CT scans.

    TLDR: This can happen in healthy albeit dehydrated people, but equally could represent underlying disease such as blood pressure abnormalities (high or low) or underlying neurological problems. It would seem sensible to get yourself checked out to see which category you are in!
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