My eyes are dry, what should I do? ——Rub with your hands
What should I do if my eyes itch? ——Rub with your hands
What should I do if there is a foreign object in my eye? ——Rub with your hands
Do you feel comfortable after rubbing your eyes? But rubbing your eyes can be refreshing for a moment, and after rubbing them, you may regret it deeply! Because this action may pose a significant risk to the eyes.
Our hands come into contact with various objects every day, and different parts of our hands are contaminated with various bacteria and viruses. Therefore, people who have a habit of rubbing their eyes may easily introduce these bacteria and viruses into their eyes during the process, leading to eye infections and inflammation.
The more common ones are conjunctivitis and keratitis. Although the conjunctiva and cornea are not in the same position, they can easily affect each other. Conjunctivitis can also cause keratitis. Conjunctivitis and keratitis have similar symptoms, both of which may include redness, swelling, pain, tears, and increased eye discharge.
Bacterial infection, timely treatment may not be a big deal, but these three eye rubbing habits may affect lifelong vision!
What are the hidden dangers of habitual eye rubbing to vision?
Hazard 1: Risk of corneal abrasion
If a foreign object enters the eye, rubbing the eye with your hand is like sand rubbing against glass, which may cause damage to the eyelids or conjunctiva, and even further scratch the cornea.
Scratching the cornea is equivalent to damaging the camera lens, seriously affecting vision. If the corneal scratch is severe and normal vision cannot continue, corneal transplantation may be necessary to restore vision.
Hazard 2: There is a risk of increasing astigmatism
Astigmatism may not only be caused by congenital factors, but also by acquired factors, among which frequent rubbing of the eyes may have an impact on vision.
Because when we rub our eyes, we habitually close them, and after closing them, the eyeball will involuntarily move upwards. At this time, the force of rubbing the eyes will be concentrated below the eyeball, which is more likely to cause changes in the curvature of the cornea below, resulting in uneven corneal curvature and astigmatism.
Hazard 3: Risk of retinal detachment
Although this situation is very rare, it is not impossible to occur, especially for people with high myopia, who need to take good care of their hands.
Because the eyes of people with high myopia are more fragile than those of ordinary people, if the rubbing force is not controlled properly, a strong rub may lead to retinal detachment and retinal bleeding due to excessive pressure on the eyes. Therefore, it is recommended not to rub the eyes.
What can I do if my eyes feel uncomfortable and I want to rub them?
If you feel itchy in your eyes, it is recommended to wash your hands first, then close your eyes and gently press your fingertips on the eyelids to gradually relieve the symptoms. Do not directly press your eyeballs, and avoid direct contact between your hands and eyeballs. If you don’t feel itchy, you can also apply a cold towel to your eyes, which can help relieve itching to some extent.
If a foreign object enters the eye, gently lift the upper eyelid to remove it from the eyeball. This will stimulate the eye to secrete tears and flush the surface of the eyeball, which can flush out the foreign object. Alternatively, use antibiotic eye drops to flush the eye. If there is no relief, see a doctor.
If the eyes are dry, it is recommended to try blinking one more time, which can stimulate the secretion of tears in the eyes and improve the dryness of the eyes. You can also relieve eye fatigue and indirectly alleviate eye dryness by turning your eyes.