Double vision after swimming

Exercise induced diplopia(double vision) is a fairly rare condition. Get to an Ophthalmologist or Neurologist ASAP This could be a simple problem with your contacts drying out your corneas due to exposure to water and chlorine. However, it could also be due to a number of other more serious conditions.

Exercise induced diplopia(double vision) is a fairly rare condition. Get to an Ophthalmologist or Neurologist ASAP This could be a simple problem with your contacts drying out your corneas due to exposure to water and chlorine. However, it could also be due to a number of other more serious conditions. but wouldn't this happen with running as well if it is exercise induced diplopia? I have been running for years and never had a symptom of this. Plus my heart rate is much higher with running.

But are your eyes covered tightly when you're running? You're wearing goggles where the purpose is to keep the water out of your eyes. Water contains oxygen molecules and your soft lens (I'm guessing they're soft) are designed to help pass oxygen to your eyes. Any chance of giving a swim session or two a try WITHOUT the contacts and see what happens. I'm blind as a bat without my glasses--but I swim without any visual correction (I CAN see the black line!). The only problem--perhaps recognizing someone at the end of the pool but you can generally see well enough to keep out of the way of other swimmers and depending on the lane--see the pace clock (ours is a large fonted digital countdown clock)

sounds like a goggle issue. there are so many types of goggles out there, it may just be a matter of finding the right ones. i tried an expensive pair of goggles (29 bucks) for a 5k race this summer because they had greater peripheral clarity, but after about 30 minutes of wearing them, the silicon gasket compressed enough to make it imposable for me to blink. i found that certain varieties come with a selection of nose pieces so one can achieve the perfect eye cup spacing. and they cost about 12 dollars. try on lots! good luck.

Excellent suggestions. PabloB, I have been swimming with contacts and goggles forever. I have had some transient blurred vision during a workout due to dryness/lack of 02/chlorine, but I never ever had diplopia. That's what is worrying me about you. If your vision is good enough without contacts to still swim, try it and see if the diplopia returns. If it isn't, get some of the prescription goggles mentioned by Chickadee and shown in the latest Swimming World and try it that way. If you still get diplopia, you may have a systemic or neurologic problem that needs attention ASAP. Your thinking about not getting exercise induced diplopia after running is sound. However, swimming is a bit different than running. I feel a much more generalized total body fatigue after swimming than I do after running. Chickadee, Where did you get the term eye MD?

Chickadee, Where did you get the term eye MD? It was just a quick way to type "eye doctor" - I defer to anyone who actually knows the area of speciality that would dx and treat such - such as the Neurologist or Ophthalmologist you mentioned.

I agree with seeing a eye professional soon, it is just not worth the risk. Be prepared for the lecture on not wearing your contacts in the pool though. I get it everytime. I do wear mine in the pool and and still struggle to see the pace clock depending on the lane I am in. I tried swimming without them, and became nauseous. I pull my goggles off from time to time so I can blink a few times - the pressure is abit much for a long workout The recent Swimmer magazine had two pages devoted to the newer and cheaper goggles with prescription lens. I plan to send the article to my eye MD and ask which ones I might use. He'll probably say the expensive custom ones no doubt. Maybe your eyesight could be corrected with one of the goggle types reviewed, most were under $50.00. And if you have bad eyesight you know this isnt a bad price to correct it, I needed a small loan on my last pair of glasses! But dont wait - have your double vision checked out soon.