Something Weird With My Eyes

I just started cycling recently, and I had experienced something very weird. I rode twice for the past couple of weeks, each time a little over an hour. When I went home, got down from the bike and enter the relatively dark apartment, a bright yellow/greenish horse shoe shaped image appeared in front of my eyes. Upon closer inspection I found actually it's two crescent/boomerang shaped images, one for each eye. They overlapped and formed the horse shoe. They are like the odd shaped images I used to see when I closed my eyes and pressed my eyeballs with my fingers for a period of time (they will linger for a while even after you open your eyes). I used to do that to see those ever changing images when I was a child.

Anyone had similar experience? I suppose it must be something your see only (if at all) when you are a beginner, and will wear off with more experience.

 

That's totally weird. I've never heard of that before. It's brave of you to share that however, and please don't take me wrong when I say it's weird. I guess all of us experience unique weird stuff. And maybe it will wear off; Maybe not. My only concern is that you don't actually go blind.

 

"Anyone had similar experience?

Yeah.

It was the brown acid.

 

I searched on line and it appears that this is quite common. It's not restricted to cycling, but rather exercises in general. Many people see bright colored spots after exercise. Cycling aside, I also run (almost every day), but I only run for about 10 minutes vs. cycling for 1 hour. So I suppose that's why I don't see them after my daily running.

It's said to have to do with low blood sugar or poor blood circulation to retina (I suppose pressing eyeballs for a duration has the same effect, and that's why the images are similar). I always exercises with empty stomach, this may be a contributing factor.

 

Never ran into that before but I know the eyes can create many many illusions. Perhaps the exercise was a bit too long for you? Too strenuous? Drank enough water?

 

Could be the preliminary symptom of a condition known as an ocular migraine - the primary symptom is a (usually) bright green shifting pattern disruption in the (usually) center of the field of vision - I call it "the green blob" - other symptoms can include mild nausea and vomiting, weakness, dizziness, muscle fatigue, chills - but it also can be just the visual distortion. Can last 10 minutes or for hours - 30 minutes is typical for me (about the time it takes for anti-migraine meds to work).

Head pain is NOT a symptom of straight occular migraines - if you develop the pounding headache it's a "regular" migraine.

Basically much more of an annoyance than anything / and I've found OTC migraine drugs like Excedrin Migraine work just as well as prescription migraines.

They are OFTEN triggered by a sharp transition between dim light and extremely bright light, exactly as you experienced / coming inside from being out in the sun on snow or water is a big trigger for me, I have to make sure to transition by wearing sun glasses/goggles a while before I go in.

If it happens again/often you could be tested and diagnosed by a neurologist, but probably not worth the bother - if I were in your position I would just pick up s bottle of OTC migraine pills to keep on hand if you need it.

 

Thanks for the info MotownBikeBoy. I was never diagnosed migraine but I do have headaches which I self diagnosed as tension headache. So far the two times are the only occurrences, thus they don't come only with transition of brightness, but always accompany strenuous exercises. I'll see if these go away when I ride more. I ride only weekly though, as my primary exercise is running.

 

I don't know if this is what you are talking about. We have here that experience called Estrella literally translated as star. When you are too exhausted to the point of fainting, you see a bright light or a bright image. That's also the case when you bump your head with an impact that can make you lose yoru bearings. And doctors say that the bright image is a prelude to losing consciousness. And if that horseshoe image is not connected to over fatigue or exhaustion then probably you need to consult an ophthalmologist.

 

Today I rode for the third time, the bright green/yellowish blob appeared for the third straight time.

But it's really not bothering me very much, since I'm not feeling any other discomfort.

 

Funny that you are writing about it. Doesn't this happen in a lot of instances? Outlines of certain settings with lighting and colors that the impressions sit in your eyes. The one i always think of is the floating piece of fuzz. It just sort of floats in from of your eye. Little small oval chains. It's just some junk in your eye that stays there.