Is it bad to rub your eyes? Many people do so because of itchiness, allergies, dryness, or out of habit. The action can help in relieving stress for people but why do eye doctors advise against it?
In this blog, you’ll find out exactly why you should stop rubbing your eyes and what can happen when you do it often. You’ll also learn ways to avoid rubbing and take better care of your eye health.
Why Do We Rub Our Eyes?
Rubbing your eyes is a natural instinct. It’s often a reaction to discomfort or irritation due to dry eyes, itch from allergies, a foreign body entering, or just as a habit.
When you rub your eyes, the vagus nerve is stimulated which decreases the heart rate for quick stress relief. It can also produce more tears which can soothe dryness temporarily. However, there are more downsides to this that may result in infection, nerve damage, retinal tear, and in severe cases, permanent vision loss.
Pre-existing Eye Conditions Aggravated by Chronic Eye Rubbing
If you are prone to allergies that cause your eyes to water, become irritated or inflamed, then frequent eye rubbing will only worsen the discomfort. Allergy sufferers or people who live with environmental irritants like dust or smoke should consult with their ophthalmologist for advice on management.
Moreover, people who already have distorted vision from keratoconus (cornea bulges into a cone shape) will likely exacerbate their condition by rubbing their eyes. This can cause the keratoconus to progress and worsen over time. The rubbing motion can physically damage parts of the eye and may lead to more severe vision disorders.
Potential Risks of Continuous Eye Rubbing
Rubbing your eyes can worsen pre-existing eye conditions and directly cause vision problems. Vigorous rubbing can impair your vision, cause abrasions, and may even break tiny blood vessels around your eyes.
With continuous eye rubbing, you can also stretch the thin and delicate skin around it. This can lead to premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, or sagging around the eye area. Some people have even reported to have developed dark circles just from rubbing their eyes.
You can damage the eye itself from rubbing it aggressively. For example, when a foreign body accidentally gets caught in your eyes, rubbing it with the hopes of dislodging the item may cause it to scratch the eye instead. Additionally, you run the risk of damaging the cornea, inadvertently causing conjunctivitis, causing a cataract, exacerbating glaucoma and even causing retina damage.
Safe Alternatives to Excessive Eye Rubbing
To prevent chronic eye rubbing, here are ways you can reduce discomfort, prevent eye infections, and promote eye health instead.
Eye drops
Dry eye syndrome can cause irritation, inflammation, redness and wateriness. Dry eye syndrome can be worsened by multiple factors including humidity levels (the weather), your environment, soft contact lens wear and make-up use. Use over-the-counter preservative free “artificial tears” to keep the eyes hydrated. Eye drops can also be used to flush out any foreign bodies like lashes or dirt that get caught. This is much safer than using your fingers.
Hot or cold compress
Sometimes eye discomfort can be reduced by applying either a hot or cold compress and gently applying it over the eyes. The gentle eye pressure and temperature change can reduce swelling, irritation, and relieve stress. Generally, hot compresses are useful for dry eyes. Cold compresses are useful for itching due to allergy.
Allergy medication
A cold compress (Ice pack) can be very helpful to reduce severe and acute itch. You should only use allergy medications if these have been prescribed by an ophthalmologist or therapeutically trained optometrist. Addressing your allergy symptoms will lessen eye inflammation and rubbing.
Be mindful of your habits
Maintain awareness of your hands and how often you touch your eyes. Keep to a regular hand hygiene routine and use fidget spinners and other distractions to keep them away from your face.
When to Seek Professional Help
If you experience any of the following symptoms, make an appointment with your eye doctor:
- Light sensitivity
- Mucus or crusting along the eye
- Redness, swelling, or inflammation.
- Severe eye pain that you cannot open your eyes
Have any eye concerns? Book an appointment today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it bad to rub your eyes?
Rubbing your eyes can aggravate pre existing eye conditions and cause vision problems. It may also cause wrinkles, darken the skin around the eyes, bloodshot eyes, pink eye, itchy eyes, and dry eyes.
Does eye rubbing cause blindness?
In severe cases, eye rubbing may lead to vision loss by aggravating pre existing eye conditions like keratoconus and glaucoma. Vigorous and sustained eye rubbing can cause corneal abrasions and other problems, such as cataract and retinal tears.
Is it okay to rub your eyes when you wear contact lenses?
Absolutely not. Rubbing your eyes while wearing contact lenses can cause abrasions and predispose to severe corneal infections.
