Eye rubbing is a habit that usually goes unnoticed. While doing it occasionally is usually harmless, touching your eyes frequently can cause discomfort and leave you at risk of developing certain eye conditions. If you’re guilty of this habit, here’s more information about why you should try to avoid it.

What Problems Can Rubbing Your Eyes Cause?

Rubbing the thin and delicate skin around the eyes and on the eyelids can cause irritation. Rubbing also stimulates blood flow to the area, making dark circles more pronounced. When the movement is aggressive, blood vessels could break and cause redness and discomfort.

If your hands aren’t clean, you might introduce contaminants like dust and grit into your eyes, potentially causing sensitivity, abrasions, and infections in some cases. Corneal abrasions and infections are more likely if you have long nails or an eyelash comes into contact with your eye.

Repeated rubbing could even thin the cornea over time, leaving you more vulnerable to eye conditions like irregular astigmatism, which could distort vision.

How Can You Avoid Doing This?

People often rub their eyes because their allergies cause itchiness. However, rubbing rarely relieves the discomfort and may even aggravate it, as it introduces more allergens into the body.

To avoid eye conditions and protect your vision, treat your allergies with medication. If over-the-counter drops and antihistamines don’t work, your doctor might prescribe more potent versions. Placing a warm compress on your face can also soothe itchiness when it flares up.

The more aware that you are of this habit, the more mindful you can be of stopping it. For example, if you often touch your face when you’re tired or stressed, going for a walk or distracting yourself with a book may help you avoid it. Wearing gloves or mittens might also alert you when you unknowingly reach for your face. The key is to stop the action as often as possible to eventually break the habit.

Turn to the professionals at Tri-State Ophthalmology for all of your eye care needs. Proudly serving patients throughout Ashland, KY, and the Tri-State region, they treat a range of eye conditions. Drs. Gross and Gussler are members of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Visit them online for more information about how they will help you, or call (606) 324-2451 to schedule an appointment.