I’m a doctor and here’s why you should never rub your eyes – it can trigger fatal infections

A QUICK rub at your eye after a long day or if you’ve got some dust stuck in it might not seem like a big deal.

But doctors say it’s never a good idea to do this.

Here are nine reasons why you should resist that urge to itch – unless you really, really have to.

1. Risk of infection

Your hands aren’t always the cleanest.

If you’re giving your peepers a cheeky rub, you could transfer infection from your fingers into your eyes, Dr Deborah Lee from Dr Fox Pharmacy told Huffington Post.

This could cause infections such as blepharitis, conjunctivitis, styes, cellulitis, keratitis, and uveitis, to name just a few.

Cellulitis is an infection which makes your skin painful, hot and swollen.

It can be very serious if you get it in your eye, the NHS says: the white part of your eye may become red.

If the infection is not treated quickly, it can spread to other parts of the body, such as the muscles and bones.

In extreme cases, it can cause blood poisoning – also known as sepsis – which can be fatal.

Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to infection and is a life-threatening medical emergency, the Centre for Disease Control in the US states.

If you wear contact lenses, you’re also at greater risk of of corneal inflammation and infection, Dr Deborah added.

Reusing lenses and wearing them overnight or in the shower can increase your risk of Acanthamoeba keratitis, which can cause severe pain and in a quarter of cases, blindness.

Some other common bacterial infections that occur from hand-to-eye contamination include:

• staphylococcus
• streptococcus
• salmonella
• E. coli.

2. You can damage your cornea

Your cornea is the clear outer layer at the front of the eyeball and acts as the window to your eye, the NHS says.

Continual rubbing of the cornea can cause tiny scratches on it called corneal abrasions.

Your eye then becomes pink and is sore and sensitive to light.

If you’ve got something in your eye like a tiny woodchip or a piece of metal, avoid rubbing it, Dr Deborah advised.

Doing so could make the object scratch your cornea or you could embed it further into your eye, which can be very painful and you might need to have it removed by a doctor or nurse.

Corneal scratches – or abrasions – can also hurt a lot due to the many nerves supplying the area. It can take 24 to 48 hours for your eye to heal, according to Moorfields Eye Hospital.

If you scratch the centre of your cornea, you could also temporarily affect your vision.

3. Small blood vessels may rupture

This can cause bloodshot eyes, or give dark circles under the eyes.

Rubbing your eyes can cause dark circles as the tissue around the eyes is thinner than elsewhere on the body.

Experts from the Atlantic Eye Institute said: “The delicate skin has equally delicate blood vessels right underneath.

“When you rub your eyes, those tiny capillaries and veins break very easily, and this causes bruising that makes dark eye circles even worse.”

4. You could worsen pre-existing eye conditions

If you’re already short sighted, you might be worsening your vision by rubbing your peepers, Dr Deborah warned.

And if you have glaucoma – raised pressure inside the eye – rubbing your eyeball further increases the pressure in the eye and can damage the optic nerve.

This can cause further deterioration in your vision.

5. You could worsen allergy symptoms

If hay or pollen fever is giving you itchy eyes, often all you want to do is give them a quick swipe.

But rubbing your red and swollen eyes will makes them produce additional tears, leading to more histamine being released and worsening the problem.

6. You could thin your cornea

Constantly rubbing your eye thin the cornea, leading it to develop a sort of cone-shaped bulge known as keratoconus.

This can make you lose your vision and sometimes requires a corneal graft.

7. You could irritate your dry eyes

Dry eyes are a pretty common condition – it happens when your peepers don’t produce enough tears.

But you should resist rubbing your eyes if you’re plagued by this condition – treat it with artificial tears, moisturising gels or ointments instead.

8. You could age the skin around your eyes

Rubbing your eyes leads to thickening of the skin around the eyes, known as lichenification.

So you could be making the skin around them look more wrinkled.

9. You might be affecting your vision

Rubbing the eye disrupts the blood flow in the eye, increases the pressure inside the eye on the retina and optic nerve, and hence can damage the optic nerve, reducing vision, Dr Deborah said.

Retinal tears and detachment are more common in those who rub their eyes.

Are there any benefits to rubbing your eyes?

There are just a couple benefits to doing this, Dr Deborah admitted.

“Putting pressure on your eyes is an effective way of relieving stress, as pressing on the eyeballs stimulates the vagus nerve, the major
parasympathetic nerve of the body,” she explained.

She said you can also gently rub your eyes after applying drops to help distribute the drops and lubricate your peeper.

But if you feel a constant need to rub your eyes, this is a symptom that something is wrong, and you should seek medical help.

Here’s what to do instead of rubbing your eyes:

Dr Deborah said to clean your eyes use some cotton wool soaked in warm water instead, to remove any dust or dirt from the eyelids or eyelashes.

“Soak a flannel in warm, clean water. Wring it out so it is damp, and place it over your eye or eyes. Try and relax,” she added.

“Next, apply some artificial tears or natural lubricant drops to the eye. Try not to rub or scratch the eyes. Wear gloves or mittens if needed.”

If you are thinking of using eye drops, it was recently revealed that a specific brand sold in the US has been linked to infections caused by a rare bacterial strain – but bear in mind these drops are not sold in the UK.

Aside from rubbing your eyes, there are other daily activities that could be damaging your eyesight, including drinking too much coffee or not getting enough sleep.