Why You Shouldn’t Rub Your Eyes

Many people rub their eyes when they are tired. This is natural, but it is not something that you should do. Anupama B. Horne is a medical doctor who works for the Eye Care Center. He stated that many people rub their eyes when they are stressed.

Rubbing the eyes stimulates tear production. It can moisturize tired and dry eyes. It can also remove any particles that you have inside of your eyes. It can also trigger a reflex that slows down the heart rate. This can help you relax.

However, Dr. Horne has stated that rubbing your eyes can cause damage to them. You can scratch your cornea. If you scratch your eyes, then this can cause severe pain. It can cause you to feel like you have something in your eye when you don’t. It can also cause sensitivity to light and redness.

You can also break blood vessels if you rub your eyes. This can cause your eyes to look bloodshot red. If you have bloodshot eyes and undereye circles, then it can cause you to look much older than you really are.

Furthermore, rubbing your eyes can possibly hurt your vision. Rubbing your eyes can cause your cornea to change shape or get thinner. This is a condition known as keratoconus. In some cases, people are required to have surgery in order to fix this problem. If you have had Lasik surgery, then you are at a greater risk for developing this problem.

You are also more likely to damage your cornea if you wear contacts. You may cause the contact lenses to move. If you are rubbing your eyes because they are irritated, then you can use eye drops. You can try some deep breathing exercises if you are rubbing your eyes because you are stressed.