We love the wind in our faces, but the wind in your eyes can cause them to dry out, leading to itchy eyes and possibly blurred vision.
Most riders wear goggles or windproof, wrap-around sunglasses when wearing an open-face helmet.
However, the wind can also leak in through the visor of many full-face helmets and some riders even ride with their visor open and no glasses.
The constant wind in your eyes dries them out and makes them sore and itchy, says optometrist Emma Valentine.
She warns it may also jeopardise your safety since it can blur your vision.
Ageing eyes
Click here to buy Barz Optics photochromic, polarised, bifocal sunglasses Emma says it’s worse for riders over 50.
“The two main reasons are a reduction in tear volume and meibomian gland dysfunction which is where the glands of the eyelids produced a reduced quantity or poorer quality of oil,” she says.
“The oil from these glands is what keeps the tears stable on the eye and stops evaporation of the tear film.
“I have seen patients with dry and inflamed eyes from wind. It typically resolves quickly with treatment such as lubricating eyes drops or anti-inflammatory eye drops in severe cases.”
Contact lenses can exacerbate dry eye, while pregnancy and menopause can lead to a lack of tears.
Eye disease
Emma says wind-burned dry eyes are also at increased risk of infection and disease.
Click here to buy Barz Optics photochromic, polarised, bifocal sunglasses “Wind affects the tear film of the eye which is important for maintaining the integrity of the ocular surface” she says.
“It can make a person more susceptible to eye issues such as conjunctivitis, corneal abrasion or corneal ulcer.”
Vision advice
Emma advises riders to wear eyewear both as protection from wind and foreign bodies.
“A routine to maintain a stable tear film can also help such as lubricating eye drops before and after riding.”
It has also been suggested eating a diet in vitamin A, which is found in liver, carrots and broccoli, or low in omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, walnuts and vegetable oils can cause dry eyes.
As they say, if symptoms persist, see your doctor or optometrist.