Physician explains why you shouldn’t rub your eyes: ‘Can permanently deform the…’

Has rubbing your eyes become a habit? You may want to reconsider it; otherwise, it can lead to severe eye damage, requiring surgery to restore vision.

Do you aggressively rub your eyes in the hope that the nagging itch stops? That immediate respite after the itch goes may be soothing, but you may be setting yourself up for long-term damage to your eyes, even permanent changes to the cornea, and even requiring very serious medical intervention.

Stop rubbing your eyes if you don't want to put your eyesight in danger!(Picture credit: Freepik)

So what exactly may go wrong if you rub your eyes? Family medicine physician who's based out of England, Dr Sermed Mezher, addressed this common habit in his October 9 Instagram post. He reacted to a clip of a content creator asking if it's normal to hear a pop after rubbing your eyes.

Dr Mezher assured that while the popping sound is normal because it's just the air entering the tear duct, rubbing is something you need to be careful about. Rubbing eye is not normal, and shouldn't be normalised as an everyday habit.

What happens if you rub your eyes?

Many people are careless about rubbing their eyes, making it a persistent habit, a first instinct when their eyes itch. But the physician warned against it, revealing how extensive and irreversible the damage can be.

“When eye rubbing becomes excessive, it can actually permanently deform the eye,” he said. The physician shared an MRI scan showing exactly what happens in your eyes when you rub them. The cornea gets deformed. A normal cornea has a rounded shape, but when it is deformed, the cornea loses its shape and bulges outward.

Dr Mezher said, “It's called keratoconus, and there's no cure for it. The only thing that could reverse this is getting a corneal transplant.” It turns out that the only way to restore the shape of the cornea is through a surgical procedure, which is a major one.

Addressing the root problems

The solution is to prevent the damage from occurring in the first place. The first step, as suggested by the doctor, should be to stop rubbing your eyes and pay attention to the problems which may cause eye irritation.

“Excessive itchy eyes are not normal, and we can help to stop you feeling you need to rub by dealing with the underlying issue, which can be undiagnosed allergies, excessive screen time and eye strain, contact lens issues or exposure to irritants like perfume or cigarette smoke,” Dr Mezher.

You should not have to endure itchy eyes because it is not normal. It hints towards irritants or allergies which require your immediate attention. By solving the root cause, you efficiently solve this problem entirely, rather than just trying to relieve the itch temporarily by rubbing your eyes.

Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.