Is Your Exercise Routine Giving You Red Eyes?

With summer around the corner, it’s easy to get excited when you’re working out in the gym. After all, time is ticking to get that summer body you are looking for. We’re not sure if that’s what happened with morning show’s newest host, but in his fourth morning show segment, he mentioned visiting an eye doctor after exercising strenuously, and discovered a broken blood vessel in the eye. This is known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage – but don’t worry… It sounds scarier than it is.

How does it happen? According to All About Vision, this issue happens when tiny blood vessels break just underneath the surface of your eye. The eye can’t absorb the blood, so it gets trapped – causing the eye to turn red and a spot to form. It’s easy when exercising, to be so focused on finishing strong, holding your breath, or going fast, that you don’t realize how hard your body is working. The next thing you know -- subconjunctival hemorrhage.

While exercise isn’t the only cause for broken blood vessels in the eye, it’s certainly a common one. Other activities to beware of include:

• Heavy lifting or straining
• Hard cough, sneeze or vomit
• Eye trauma
• Inserting contact lenses
• A sudden increase in blood pressure
• Taking blood thinners
• Eye surgery (such as Lasik and cataract surgery)

Has this happened to you? While these red spots may look scary, they are usually harmless and disappear within a few weeks (not unlike a common bruise on another part of your body). But, eye redness can also signal other potentially serious eye problems. See an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam to ensure your eye is healthy.

Click here to find an eyecare professional near you and make sure you your eyes are as ready for that next work out as you are.