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The risk that comes with rubbing your eyes
Itchy eyes is a very common problem especially if you are not getting enough sleep, you have allergic reactions and for people who wear contact lenses. If your work entails staying on the computer screen for longer periods, and those who stay on their phones too can experience itchy eyes. The urge to rub your eyes when they are itchy is usually so strong that one cannot resist. However, after reading this blog, you will hold off that urge because chronic eye rubbing can lead to serious ocular damage.
Rubbing your eyes can cause permanent change
Rubbing the cornea too often can make it to become permanently misshapen. This is not hood news at all because when the cornea becomes malformed, one can suffer from an eye condition known as keratoconus, which is a condition in which a thin cornea takes on a cone-like shape. This is different with a normal cornea because it is usually round in shape. A cone-like shape is an irregular shape of the cornea which distorts light, leading to poor vision. When you happen to be a victim of this eye infection, your vision cannot be corrected with eye glasses or contact lenses.
Scratching the surface
This sounds like something normal that we all do. For instance, when a piece of dirt gets into your eye, you imagine that one rub will help solve the solution. This is a misconception that is common among people. When you scratch and you feel extreme pain in your eyes, you might be suffering from corneal abrasion. Moreover, corneal abrasion can lead to pink eye and sensitivity to light. This condition causes great discomfort to an individual. Prescribed eye drops might be effective for the pink eye to fully heal.
An easy way to get an infection
You may be scratching your eyes and your hands are not clean. Touching different surfaces than touching your eyes causes eye infection. We encounter different surfaces every day. Even if you are in the house and you touch your door handle after doing a deep cleaning in the house, chances are that there are hidden dirt particles and germs on that door handle. This makes rubbing your eyes with your hands a risky activity since you are introducing bacteria into the eye. These bacteria are what causes infection to the eye. This is one of the main reasons as to why you should avoid rubbing your eye at all cost.
You are suffering from an allergy
Allergic reactions are also the main cause of rubbing eyes. Runny nose, scratchy throat, itchy and irritated eyes are all symptoms of having an allergic reaction. People who have allergic reaction tend to frequently rub their eyes to provide some sort of relief. Although this may cause a temporary relief, it ends up doing more harm than good. The body’s immune system has a way of doing away with the allergic reactions if we let it do its job. The body sends out mast cells, which are allergen removers, and these cells then release histamines and acids which are meant to combat these allergens. However, if your continue rubbing your eyes, the mast cells get ruptured, thereby releasing large amounts of acid into the already sensitive eyes. This is why the itching and burning sensation intensifies when your rub your eyes.
Rubbing your eyes is not a good look
Continuous rubbing of the eye has physical effects too. It can lead to the development of dark circles under the lower eyelids. This is because the skin underneath our eyes is very thin and if we continue rubbing it, it can cause the tiny blood vessels around the eyes to break the burst. This makes the blood vessels to be more visible hence results to the darker appearance under the eyelids. In addition to that, if you already have a red eye, further rubbing of the eye will cause adverse effects and the eye situation may worsen.
A rub free remedy
It is natural for one to rub his or her eyes when it feels itchy. The good news is that there are different ways that this condition can be treated. Sounds great right? Some of the effective rub-free eye remedies include the following.

  • Lubricating eye drops are helpful and are a reliable method of treating itchy eyes. These eye drops are found over the counter and have been proved to offer relief from itchy eyes. These eye drops should be put in the fridge prior to use because they offer instant relief and really sooth when the drops are colder. Not all drops are to be stored in the fridge. Read the label of your eye drop carefully and confirm that it can be stored in the fridge.
  • Using sterile saline eye wash also offers relief to itchy and burning eyes. This is because they flush out the particles that are present in the eye, leaving a cooling and soothing effect.
  • If you are suffering from allergic reactions, the doctor can prescribe anti-allergy eye drops to help with the problem. There are some over-the-counter medicines that also provide temporary relief.
  • Alternatively, if you cannot reach the pharmacy and you do not have any eye drops in the house, you can apply a cold and damp washcloth over your closed eyes. This will provide instant relief to the itchy and burning eyes as you look for alternative long-term solutions.

In conclusion, if you feel like you still cannot resist the urge to rub your eyes when they feel itchy, it is recommended that you visit your eye doctor to determine what the underlying problem may be. In addition to that, the doctor will provide appropriate solutions to the eye problem. If the doctor is not able to get you the best fit treatment option, he will recommend you to a different doctor with the treatment plan that best fits your problem, so that you can clearly see the world with fresh eyes.