Valsalva and popping blood vessels

[Kitsuma]

I developed a rash in one of my eyelids exactly like your pictures last week after heavy squats. It went away in 48 hours. I remember losing control of my valsalva and it getting up into my head. Felt like my head was going to explode. I may have gone too deep on the last squat...and my hips got a little ahead of my shoulders during the grinder.

I squatted heavier yesterday and paid attention to form and keeping my breath below my throat. All is well today. Thanks for posting the pictures.

[sika]

I developed a rash in one of my eyelids exactly like your pictures last week after heavy squats. It went away in 48 hours. I remember losing control of my valsalva and it getting up into my head. Felt like my head was going to explode. I may have gone too deep on the last squat...and my hips got a little ahead of my shoulders during the grinder.

I squatted heavier yesterday and paid attention to form and keeping my breath below my throat. All is well today. Thanks for posting the pictures.

Yeah, seems to be the same cause for me. Slow, grindy reps and the squat morning I get near limit loads.

While the article was focused on strokes and aneurysms, the part I found applicable here was the effect of valsalva on blood pressure in general. To me that suggests that it's not a question of where you breath into, or hold the breath, rather the overall impact of the breathing maneuver on blood pressure. Though it didn't address the bursting of other small blood vessels, it did seem to offer some anecdotal evidence to support the hypothesis that this is BP-related.

It is blood pressure for sure. I can feel my face turning purple. I switched to Andy's HLM program for older lifers, and I did a 1x5 of solid squats today at 140kg without anything popping. Plan is to just stop if feel like the next rep will be a grinder.

[adivin]

This just happened to me after squatting this morning. Tiny red dots under my eyes and eyelids and side of my face, and slightly puffy under my eyes. I believe this is ruptured capillaries - Petechia. I am using the Valsalva and holding big breaths. Yes, it feels like my eyes are going to pop out of my head too. This has me concerned. Is there a wrong way to hold the breath during the lift?

[Christopher Anderson]

I think its all just part of doing the method.

[Fiddler]

This just happened to me after squatting this morning. Tiny red dots under my eyes and eyelids and side of my face, and slightly puffy under my eyes. I believe this is ruptured capillaries - Petechia. I am using the Valsalva and holding big breaths. Yes, it feels like my eyes are going to pop out of my head too. This has me concerned. Is there a wrong way to hold the breath during the lift?

It helps if you keep your mouth open a little and hold your breath in your throat.

[Mugaaz]

Not to derail your thread, but I thought you said you're 6'2 295lbs. Unless I'm blind, the dude in the videos you linked is not that?

[ravl]

are you 100% sure you are holding your valsalva at the glottis and not at your mouth?

Also: I once gave myself a black eye squatting - had a blocked duct in one eyelid and it burst during a volume day giving me a nice shiner

+1 I had been developing the habit of holding the valsalva on my pharynx, even with my mouth open. Popped a vessel on my eyelid and gave myself a black eye as well. Also started getting headaches after heavy squats. Had to purposefully make sure the valsalva is held at the glottis, I do this by moving my tongue until I don't feel pressure in my sinuses.

[adivin]

That could be a good cue. Thanks

[sika]

Not to derail your thread, but I thought you said you're 6'2 295lbs. Unless I'm blind, the dude in the videos you linked is not that?

Sorry, that's a typo. I'm 205lb.

Just for the record, I went to a dermatologist and she thinks I have rosacea. It's a chronic symptom with unknown causes, common in the Nordic countries. Flare-ups are typically related to exercise, blood pressure, and diet. I got a cream containing metronidazole which seems to be helping.

I've managed to avoid the skin bleeding by taking just shallow breaths during squats. Deadlifting is a different matter. Even when at 80% 5RM I get blood spots under my eyes. I'll have to rework my program somehow, perhaps doing deadlifts or SGDL as an assistance.