Why is it not good to rub your eyes? Know the risks

Rubbing your eyes, a gesture that many people do unconsciously but that can carry risks such as eye spills, injuries or cosmetic problems.

Rubbing the eyes is one of the reflex acts that many people perform and unconsciously repeat many times throughout their lives. And although it may seem like a “harmless” habit, it involves certain risks to the health of our eyes.

Why do we rub our eyes?

In general, rubbing the eyes provides temporary relief from certain discomforts.

The experts of the Bavarian Clinic point out some of the most common causes of this gesture:

• Dry Eyedue to the lack of natural lubrication.
• Inconvenience due to excessive use of screens.
• itching sensation that appears with different allergies.

For his part, he doctor Pedro Arriola Villalobos, ophthalmologist and member of the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology (SEO)in addition to citing itching as one of the main reasons why we scratch, also points out that there are people who internalize it as a habit or because they suffer from a disorder that favors this action.

“It may be the case of patients with psychomotor delays, Down syndrome or obsessive disorders. These tend to do it inadvertently, sometimes even at night while they are sleeping,” he explains.

What problems can it generate?

When we rub our eyes we do it with our hands, fingers or even our knuckles, becoming a route of transmission for possible infectious agents; and this is one of the main risks.

In addition, we can damage the cornea and lead to the appearance of lesions on the surface.

According to him Dr. Fernando Llovet, ophthalmologist and co-founder of Clínica Bavieraour eyes can suffer different problems to which special attention should be paid:

• eye spills. One of the most common consequences when we put our hands to our eyes and rub them is to break some of the capillaries that supply the tissue, causing a redness of the sclera (the white part of the eye). You can even produce a eye spill.
• Injuries to the surface of the eye. We can damage the surface of the eye and our cornea by putting pressure on it.
• Infections such as conjunctivitis and keratitis. The germs found on our hands can cause an infection in our eyes, since it is a very delicate area.
• aesthetic problems. The pressure exerted on the eyelids and areas near the eye can lead to the appearance of dangerous wrinkles.
• keratoconus. It is a deformation of the ocular surface, and specifically, of the cornea, which can be produced by excessive rubbing.

EFE/J.M.ARAGON

In fact, the SEO expert indicates that rubbing our eyes will release more histaminewhich is the molecule involved in the production of itching and, therefore, will be counterproductive, since what we do is produce even more itching.

And in patients with glaucomaa fairly prevalent eye disease and the second cause of irreversible blindness in our country, by increasing intraocular pressure when we rub our eyes, a worsening of the pathology can occur.

Along the same lines, he stresses that in patients who suffer some problema visual it is even more dangerous.

“In patients with myopia, the retinas are more atrophic and weak, and any trauma that we repeatedly inflict on the eye can increase the risk of retinal diseases, such as hemorrhages or peripheral lesions with the risk of retinal detachment,” he clarifies.

How can we avoid these risks?

Dr. Arriola recommends certain keys What we must take into account to prevent our eyes from suffering:

• If it is due to itching or stinging, use a artificial tear o one antihistamine eye drops will reduce discomfort.
• If it is out of habit, it is necessary break off her. Notifying our closest environment can help us to be alert.
• Go to the ophthalmologist to make a diagnosis of the specific case and administer a treatment.