8 serious side effects! Frequent eye rubbing damages the eyes and accelerates premature aging.
Rubbing your eyes is an automatic reaction when we feel itchy, irritated, or tired. However, many people may overlook this action as a minor issue. In fact, frequent or vigorous eye rubbing can cause serious and unexpected damage to the health of your eyes and the skin around them, from health problems to cosmetic problems.
Direct impact on eye structure
Repetitive pressure on the eyes directly affects the delicate structures of the eye, which can lead to serious conditions that require specialized treatment.
1. Damages the cornea and causes keratoconus.
Rubbing your eyes excessively and continuously over a long period of time is a major cause of corneal deformity. The cornea can weaken and bulge outward, forming a cone shape, a condition called corneal bulging. This can lead to serious vision problems, such as rapidly increasing astigmatism, distorted vision, and long-term damage to the eyes.
2. Increase the risk of infection
Our hands are a breeding ground for germs and dirt. When we rub our eyes, those germs are transferred directly to our eyes, putting us at risk for serious eye infections such as pink eye, conjunctivitis, or even styes. Therefore, we should be careful not to rub our eyes when our hands are not clean.
3. Stimulates allergic reactions and irritation.
Although rubbing your eyes may seem like it’s relieving the itch, in reality, it stimulates immune cells to release more histamine, making the skin around your eyes itchy and red, worsening the swelling and inflammation, and setting you on a never-ending cycle of rubbing your eyes more and more.
4. Destroys the capillaries under the conjunctiva.
The pressure from rubbing your eyes can cause tiny blood vessels beneath the conjunctiva to rupture, resulting in a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which causes a red, patchy bruise in the white of the eye. While this condition isn’t serious, it can be disfiguring, and it can take several days for the redness to disappear naturally.
5. Increased risk of glaucoma
In some cases, frequent and vigorous eye rubbing can temporarily increase intraocular pressure. Frequent rubbing can affect the optic nerve and increase the risk of glaucoma, a major cause of permanent blindness that requires special attention.closePause
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Adverse effects on beauty and skin around the eyes
In addition to directly affecting eye health, rubbing your eyes also affects your appearance and can accelerate the development of skin problems around your eyes.
6. Makes the eyelids droop and cause droopy eyes.
Regular rubbing of the eyes can weaken or stretch the muscles and tendons that lift the upper eyelid, resulting in ptosis, which makes the eyes appear smaller, more sleepy, or may even partially obstruct vision.
7. Premature wrinkles appear.
The skin around the eyes is very thin and produces little collagen. Repeated rubbing, scraping, or pulling on the skin causes collagen and elastin to deteriorate more quickly, significantly accelerating the appearance of wrinkles and crow’s feet around the eyes.
8. Causes dark circles under the eyes.
Rubbing your eyes causes inflammation and impaired blood circulation around the eyes. Over time, the skin in this area can become more prone to darkening and dullness, which can affect the overall appearance of your face and make it look dull.
How to relieve itching and stop rubbing your eyes
To maintain good long-term eye health, it’s most important to stop the habit of rubbing your eyes. Instead, switch to proper eye-relief methods.
- Cold compress: Use a clean cloth soaked in cold water and gently apply it to the eye area to help reduce itching and swelling.
- Use eye drops: If your eyes are dry or irritated, use artificial tears. If allergies are present, consult your doctor for antihistamine eye drops.
- Wash your hands thoroughly: If you absolutely must touch your eyes, be sure to wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds to prevent germs from spreading.
- Rest your eyes: If the itching is caused by eye strain, take a 5-10 minute break by looking into the distance to relax the muscles around your eyes.
Eyes are a delicate and extremely important organ. Frequent eye rubbing is a habit that can seriously harm both your physical health and your beauty. Therefore, you should avoid it and use appropriate methods to maintain eye cleanliness and relieve eye irritation instead, in order to preserve these important eyes in the long term.