Ten reasons why rubbing your eyes is more dangerous than you think

by Dr Deborah Lee, Dr Fox Online Pharmacy

Image by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay

You probably don’t think twice about rubbing your eyes – but in fact – there are many reasons why it’s far better to leave your eyes alone.

1. Risk of eye infections

   – Bacteria and viruses can be transferred from your fingers into your eyes causing blepharitis, conjunctivitis, styes, cellulitis, keratitis and uveitis. If you wear contact lenses, this is especially risky as it can cause corneal inflammation and infection.

2. May worsen damage from a foreign body in the eye

   – If something has lodged in the eye, such as a small wood chip, or a piece of glass or metal, this means that when you rub the eye, it will scratch the cornea and embed the object further into the eye.

3. Small blood vessels may leak or rupture

   – Causing bloodshot eyes, or resulting in dark circles under the eyes.

4. Worsens current eye disease – If you are short-sighted, rubbing the eyes can worsen your vision. If you have glaucoma – raised pressure inside the eye – when you rub the eyeball this further increases the pressure inside the eye, which may damage the optic nerve, and worsen your vision.

5. Damage to the cornea

   – Continual rubbing of the cornea (the membrane over the front of the eye) can cause tiny scratches on the cornea called corneal abrasions. The eye becomes pink or red, feels sore and is sensitive to light.

6. Worsens allergy symptoms

   – If you have an allergy, for example to pollen in hay fever – when pollen comes into contact with the eye, this leads to histamine release, and the eyes become red, swollen and itchy. Rubbing your eyes results in additional tears being produced which can soothe the itching, but it also leads to more histamine being released which worsens the problem.

7. Thinning of the cornea – If you are constantly rubbing the eye, this can result in thinning of the cornea which can develop a sort of cone-shaped bulge – known as keratoconus. This is linked to loss of vision and sometimes requires a corneal graft.

8. Dry eye

   – You may feel the need to rub your eyes because you have dry eye. This is a very common condition affecting up to 50% of the population, in which your eyes don’t produce enough natural tears. Your eyes may feel dry, gritty, and sensitive to light, as well as watering more than is normal. You need to treat the dry eye with artificial tears, moisturising gels or ointments – rather than constantly rubbing the eye.

9. Ages the skin around the eyes

   – Rubbing your eyes causes thickening of the skin around the eyes, known as lichenification. As a result, the skin around the eyes looks more wrinkled.

10. Can damage your vision

    – Rubbing the eye disrupts blood flow in the eye, and increases the pressure inside the eye onto the retina and optic nerve. Hence it can damage the optic nerve, reducing vision. Retinal tears and detachment are more common in those who rub their eyes.

What to do if you feel the need to rub your eyes

Clean your eye/eyes with some cotton wool soaked in warm water, to remove any dust or dirt from the eyelids or eyelashes.

Soak a flannel in warm, clean water. Wring it out so it is damp, and place it over your eye or eyes. Try and relax.

Next, apply some artificial tears or natural lubricant drops to the eye.

Try not to rub or scratch the eyes. Wear gloves or mittens if needed.

Make an appointment with a doctor, pharmacist, or at the local Eye Unit.

If the eye is red and painful, or if it’s red and you wear contact lenses, you need an urgent GP/hospital appointment.

• Otherwise – phone NHS 111.

When is a sore eye an emergency?

A sore eye can be an emergency. If you have any of the following, go to A&E or phone 999

• Changes to your vision such as seeing wavy lines
• Pain when you look at the light
• A red eye with a headache and feeling sick
• Your eye or eyes look very dark red
• You’ve injured your eye or pierced it
• You have a foreign body in your eye (like a piece of metal, glass or grit)

Final thoughts

If your eyes are sore, or itchy and you feel you need to keep rubbing them, think ahead. The hay fever season will soon be upon us. Act now – don’t just keep rubbing and damaging your eyes. What can you do to take better care of your eyes?

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