Why do you see Swelling Around Eyes After Exercise? If you exercise for more than 20 minutes at a time, your eyes may start to swell. This is often caused by a condition called runner’s eye or exercise-induced iritis.
The reason for the swelling is typically due to tears in the lining of the eye that is caused by exercise.
The best way to treat this condition is to stop exercising and then use artificial tears on your eyes as soon as possible.
You can go back to exercise after 10-12 hours have passed without any problems or if your symptoms improve significantly.
10 Best Remedies for Swelling Around Eyes After Exercise
For the first few days, you should apply artificial tears as directed by your doctor. You can also use over-the-counter eye drops for this purpose. This will help keep the eyes moist and prevent them from becoming dry or irritated.
- Use cold packs on the swollen area around your eyes. When you have to work out in the morning, do so before breakfast and drink lots of fluids afterward. Cold packs are also good for relieving some of the swellings that are present when exercising late at night or early in the morning.
- To reduce swelling, place an ice pack over your closed eye for 20 minutes at a time during the day and then remove it for another 20 minutes before going back to bed. This is a good time to drink plenty of fluids and keep your head elevated because the swelling around your eyes will be reduced over time.
- You can also use a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth or towel as an ice pack on the eye area if you do not have any other options available, but this may cause even more swelling.
- Gargle warm salt water to wash out the mouth and eyes, and consume a lot of fluid both before and after exercise. This will help prevent the development of what is called dry eye syndrome, which results in swelling around the eyes after exercise or playing tennis.
- Use a humidifier at night while you are sleeping to keep your sinuses moist so that the lining of your eye does not become too dry from a lack of moisture when exercising early in the morning or late at night.
- If all else fails, avoid wearing goggles until your symptoms start to go away by themselves because this may cause even more damage to your eyes when you do decide to wear them again later on down the road. You can also wear contact lenses, which are not as effective for swimming or athletics because they do not fit securely enough to prevent them from falling out.
- Try to stay away from sodium and salty foods during the day and at night before you go to sleep so that your eyes heal properly when suffering from swollen eyes after exercise.
- Eat a diet rich in leafy green vegetables, nuts, and legumes each day so that your body gets plenty of nutrients needed for healing and improved circulation. This will help keep the inflammation of your eye socket down over time by decreasing both internal and external swelling around the eyes after exercise is complete.
- Talk with your doctor about taking some medications such as steroids if you have a severe case of this condition where you cannot see out of the affected eye(s) and there is much pain and discomfort as well.
- Slowly increase your daily exercise routine over time to avoid pain, swelling, or other symptoms during a specific workout session because this can be avoided with proper precautions and preparation beforehand.
Though this problem may seem like a minor one at first, it can become quite painful if not treated correctly in a timely manner so that permanent damage does not occur to the eyes.
If these types of problems are present after just one day, they will usually get better within two weeks using the above remedies for swollen eyes after exercise without any further complications.
However, you should still wait an additional six months before starting another rigorous exercise program. And you also should consider seeing a doctor obtain some tests performed. So that your eyes are not damaged permanently by the effects of this condition over time.
Can strenuous exercise cause swell?
Exercise-induced ocular edema is a condition that can occur in some cases of strenuous exercise. It is characterized by swelling around the eyes that occurs after a prolonged or intense workout.
Exercise-induced ocular edema is not usually considered to be an emergency and will often go away by itself within two weeks. This type of swelling does not typically require any treatment other than cold compresses, eating well, and sporadic rest from exercise.

You can also use a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth or towel as an ice pack on the eye area if you do not have any other options available, but this may cause even more swelling.
Gargle warm salt water to wash out the mouth and eyes, and consume a lot of fluid both before and after exercise. This will help prevent the development of what is called dry eye syndrome, which results in swelling around the eyes after exercise or playing tennis.
How do you reduce swelling after working out?
- Rest your eyes by closing them for a few minutes after you complete the strenuous exercise, even if you feel like there is no time allotted to do this in the middle of a workout session.
- Drink plenty of fluids to stay well hydrated so that your cells can replace themselves and repair quickly after the swelling caused by exercise subsides.
- Use cold compresses for around 10 minutes at a time on your swollen eyes after exercise and eat plenty of vegetables, nuts, legumes, and leafy greens each day so that you get enough nutrients to rebuild your body over time.
- Take medications such as steroids if you have a severe case of this condition where you cannot see out of the affected eye(s) and there is much pain and discomfort as well.
- Slowly increase your daily exercise routine over time to avoid pain, swelling, or other symptoms during a specific workout session because this can be avoided with proper precautions and preparation beforehand.
Though this problem may seem like a minor one at first, it can become quite painful if not treated correctly in a timely manner so that permanent damage does not occur to the eyes.
If these types of problems are present after just one day, they will usually get better within two weeks using the above remedies for swollen eyes after exercise without any further complications.
Is swelling normal after working out?
When you work out, your blood moves through your muscles more quickly. This increases the pressure in your body, which means that your blood vessels may swell.
Swelling can also occur if you hold a position like yoga or Pilates for an extended amount of time or if you have been sitting for too long without moving.
It is normal to experience a little swelling after working out, but it should go down within hours or days.
If swelling has been persisting for several days and is painful, there could be another underlying issue. Chronic pain and swelling often indicate a more serious problem like osteoarthritis in this case.
The Bottom Line
Though it may seem like a minor issue at first, Swelling Around the Eyes After Exercise can develop into something much more serious if not treated promptly.
If you are experiencing this problem and want help with remedies or solutions to take care of the condition, contact us today by filling out our form on our website for expert assistance.
We have experts waiting that will be happy to answer any questions about how to reduce swelling after working out or other related topics so feel free to reach out!