Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

swimshark — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:51:59 GMT

I am happy to report in our sprint workout this morning, I dove off the blocks six times with the Barracuda Hydrobat and got no leakage and no headache! I am so thrilled to finally have a solution. Great news. Maybe I should try them. Although I have 5 pairs of Vanquishers to go through first.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

aquajock — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:05:43 GMT

I am happy to report in our sprint workout this morning, I dove off the blocks six times with the Barracuda Hydrobat and got no leakage and no headache! I am so thrilled to finally have a solution.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

aquajock — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:26:40 GMT

Great news. Maybe I should try them. Although I have 5 pairs of Vanquishers to go through first. I figure I will use my Vanquishers for at home pool swimming and as a backup pair at meets in case the other ones break...

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

aquajock — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:24:42 GMT

I am glad to hear you found a solution. And Hydrobat sounds like a great comic book super hero! They are rather funny looking. My husband told me this morning I looked like an ant...

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

pendaluft — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:29:44 GMT

I am happy to report in our sprint workout this morning, I dove off the blocks six times with the Barracuda Hydrobat and got no leakage and no headache! I am so thrilled to finally have a solution. I am glad to hear you found a solution. And Hydrobat sounds like a great comic book super hero!

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

swimshark — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:20:18 GMT

I never wear tight caps - I mostly wear Keifer latex. I'm not sure if it makes a difference in time, but I'd rather have a slower time than a headache. Same here. I can't wear the silicone caps. Luckily the team provides either 1 silicone or 3 latex each year so I get enough since they wear out sooner.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

aquajock — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:57:46 GMT

I get headaches from tight caps. I can wear my 50 mile cap all day and not get a headache, but the more substantial caps hurt my head. I never wear tight caps - I mostly wear Keifer latex. I'm not sure if it makes a difference in time, but I'd rather have a slower time than a headache.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

norascats — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:04:06 GMT

I get headaches from tight caps. I can wear my 50 mile cap all day and not get a headache, but the more substantial caps hurt my head.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

orca1946 — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:04:24 GMT

I can't wear sweeds, they make my contacts pop out!

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

Former Member — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:18:24 GMT

When I was a kid I used to get terrible headaches and it was due to those big bug eye goggles that speedo used to make. In my later youth I wore swedish goggles every session, with no problems. The most important thing is that goggles fit. My rule of thumb is that you should be able to fit them into your eye socket and they should stay on (obviously not swimming, or for very long) without straps. Now I tend to wear speedsockets for training and racing. Again, because they fit...

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

aquajock — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 12:06:33 GMT

Barracuda now makes a goggle that is designed for racing. It is called the Hydrobat. I have a couple of pairs and they're pretty comfortable. Amazon.com: Barracuda Hydrobat Swim Goggle: Sports & Outdoors. The main reason I've been wearing the Women's vanquisher is that it fits my small face. I was speaking to a woman at practice who wears the Hydrobat.I'm going to order a pair and see if they stay on when I dive in. I tried hers on and noticed the top of the lens lays on my brow instead of on that nerve beneath it...

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

knelson — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 11:51:59 GMT

I often get headaches after meets (in fact I've got one right now), but never connected it to goggles before. I guess because my goggles rarely bother me in practice I just never made the connection, but it does make sense.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

Sea Goon — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 10:34:04 GMT

Is this mostly an adult thing? My eyes need time to "recover" after using tight goggles now, but I never had any goggles induced pain as a kid.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

Former Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:19:26 GMT

Barracuda now makes a goggle that is designed for racing. It is called the Hydrobat. I have a couple of pairs and they're pretty comfortable. Amazon.com: Barracuda Hydrobat Swim Goggle: Sports & Outdoors I have tried to wear the Speedo Vanquishers before, but after about 30 minutes they caused intense pain where they pressed between my eyes and my nose. I wish they hadn't done that because they didn't fog and didn't leak at all. But I tried them several times and had the same result each time. For practice I wear TYR Racetechs. They're an older model but they fit me well. I've always been fearful that they'll quit making them because it seems like every time I find any product that fits me well, the manufacturer discontinues it. One of the USMS vendors had a TYR representative in their booth during Atlanta Nationals. I asked him about the Racetech model and whether he thought that it would be phased out any time soon. He said no. He said that the Racetech has been around for years but has a very loyal following and he doubted that TYR would ever discontinue it.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

Former Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:51:20 GMT

A J, since you describe these headaches as connected to racing, I assume you don't have them after regular workouts. What goggles do you use during practice? Why not race with them?

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

Former Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:02:55 GMT

Theoretically, smaller, aero-hydro shaped goggles should help with speed more than the bigger goggles or masks, but I wonder if there have ever been experiments to compare the actual results of the two. Maybe some folks here can experiment on themselves---wear different types of goggles to swim the same distance and time them? I tend to think concerns over goggles' leaking or falling during a race are much more legitimate than over the shapes/sizes of goggles. (But then, maybe those small competition goggles' advantages include not only the aero-hydro shape, but also they don't fall or leak easily, and maybe that's why some people prefer them?) If they don't make much difference, then why not wear the more comfortable ones?

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

Sojerz — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:07:35 GMT

I used the Barracuda goggles for many years when i first started using goggles to practice. You can buy prescription lenses for them too. They are bigger and clunckier than say the vanquisher or typical AG swim goggle, but very compfortable. However, I never had much luck off the blocks with these goggles. So, would warm for masters meets and swim events without any goggles and use just the Barracuda goggles for practice. Eventually started practicing with smaller speedo goggles like my kids used, but still don't feel very comfortable diving with them from a block. May still try swim events without any goggles. You can't see as well across the pool lanes, but can see swimmers along side ok and the wall. It's not as drastic as you might think. You don't have to worry about losing them when you start or tightiening them to the point where they cause headaches at meets. Obviously you can't wear contacts without goggles.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

swimshark — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 07:16:32 GMT

This is a good suggestion and contracting muscles in my forehead sometimes gives me tension headaches, but I think the comment about the supra orbital neuralgia is what's happening. After I've had my goggles on that tight for a couple of races, I leave the meet feeling like that area is almost bruised. It feels sensitive at first and then progresses to an agonizing headache. It sounds like what I get as well. When we have 2 hour practices, it's worse. If you find goggles, please let me know. I'd love to try some new ones out as well.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

aquajock — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:50:53 GMT

A J, since you describe these headaches as connected to racing, I assume you don't have them after regular workouts. What goggles do you use during practice? Why not race with them? I wear Women's Speedo Vanquisher for racing and Lane Four Selene goggles in practice. I am not sure the Selene goggles would stay on during a dive, since they rest on and above my brow, but I love them because they have very soft rubber around the eyes and do not leave ring marks. Selene goggles never give me headaches.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

aquajock — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:46:49 GMT

Barracuda doesn't make the most streamlined goggles,but they do make good goggles that don't put pressure on the eye socket area. I've seen those, Allen. Can you dive in with them?

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

Allen Stark — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:23:00 GMT

Barracuda doesn't make the most streamlined goggles,but they do make good goggles that don't put pressure on the eye socket area.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

aquajock — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:49:01 GMT

Susan, I get frequent headaches as well (so often that they are called migraines) and often after a long, hard swim practice. I find that when I'm really working hard, I tighten up my forehead and cause the headaches. Can you see if maybe you are doing that at a meet as well? This is a good suggestion and contracting muscles in my forehead sometimes gives me tension headaches, but I think the comment about the supra orbital neuralgia is what's happening. After I've had my goggles on that tight for a couple of races, I leave the meet feeling like that area is almost bruised. It feels sensitive at first and then progresses to an agonizing headache.

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

aquajock — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:44:18 GMT

There are reports of supra-orbital neuralgia caused by swimming goggles. The supra-orbital nerve exits the skull just above the eyebrow and supplies sensation to the forehead and scalp. Injury or irritation to the nerve can cause devastating headaches. The case reports mention relief changing goggle styles (they naturally don't get into details about this, I am sure the neurologists didn't find goggles as interesting as we do). Maybe you have some version of this phenomenon. Try different goggles and try to see if they might be pressing on the nerve it self. This picture might help. This definitely sounds like what's happening. Thanks for taking the time to share this with me. Maybe I should try wearing a larger goggle that doesn't cut into that vulnerable area (hopefully it will stay on my head, too).

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

swimshark — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:21:25 GMT

RE: Racing Goggles and Migraine Headaches

pendaluft — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:32:12 GMT