Rubbing Your Eyes Is More HARMFUL Than You Think

Waking up is not the same without lazily rubbing your watery eyes, even though you know deep down that it may not be such a good idea. This is an all-too-familiar struggle for so many people. You may even be tempted to think that rubbing your eyes is no big deal, but in reality, the truth is the opposite of that. 

 

Rubbing the delicate and thin skin of the eye area can have dire consequences for your eye health and skin appearance. This article will help you understand how frequent rubbing can harm the eye area and what you can do to stop rubbing your eyes too often.  

 

The Consequences of Eye Rubbing

 

Dermatologists point out that the eye area has the thinnest and most delicate skin in your entire body. That’s why rubbing the skin around the eyes more than merely twice a day can have a detrimental effect on your skin’s appearance and health. 

 

Doctors encounter the following problems that result from frequent eye rubbing: 

 

1. Dark circles  

Rubbing your eyes can lead to dark undereye circles. Friction damages tiny blood vessels under the skin, causing them to break and bleed. As a result, you’ll observe dark circles under the eyes called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Fortunately, this is not permanent damage, but it can return if you get in the habit of eye rubbing again.

2. Corneal damage  

Chronic eye rubbing can cause damage beyond the skin too. Microscopic scratches to the cornea - the protective transparent layer that covers the iris and the pupil - and fairly common too. Gradually, scratches can lead to the thinning of the cornea, which, in turn, worsens your eyesight and causes blurry vision and astigmatism.

3. Wrinkles around the eyes 

Wrinkles develop when the skin loses elasticity. And the thinner the skin, the higher the risk of developing wrinkles early on. Since the skin around the eyes is very delicate, even seemingly minor mechanical damage like rubbing the eyes can stretch the skin and lead to premature wrinkles. Repeated rubbing can also make the skin appear dry, which accentuates wrinkles.

4. Glaucoma gets worse  

Glaucoma is a disease where the optic nerve is damaged. Gradually, more and more patches of a person’s field of vision vanish, ultimately leading to blindness. In most cases, glaucoma treatment involves lowering intraocular pressure. Frequent eye rubbing can compromise the treatment and cause spikes in eye pressure, speeding up the progression of glaucoma. 

 

5. Red and watery eyes  

Do people often tell you that your eyes look red and tired? Rubbing can lead the tiny capillaries in the eyes to break and rupture, which gives that familiar bloodshot appearance to the eyes.

6. Increased risk of eye infection  

At this point, we’re all keenly aware that our hands need frequent washing and that germs are around us. So, why do we still think that it’s okay to rub our eyes with those dirty hands throughout the day? Realistically, it’s not, and each time you do so, you are potentially exposing the eyes to germs. Bacteria and viruses can enter the bloodstream through the eyes, and chronic eye rubbing is linked to an increased risk of pink eye and conjunctivitis. 

 

Here’s some good news to keep in mind. While rubbing the eyes is harmful, wearing swimming goggles and light tugging on the eyelid, such as when you put on contacts or apply eye makeup, causes no negative health effects. Likewise, a light patting or dabbing motion when you apply skincare products around the eye area will not cause harm.  

 

Why Do Eyes Get Itchy?

From dry eye disease to allergies, your eyes may get itchy for a variety of reasons. If the itchiness causes you to rub your eyes frequently, schedule an appointment with your physician to address the issue. A doctor can prescribe topical steroid drops, antihistamines, or hydrating drops to reduce itchiness.

Teach Yourself to Stop Rubbing Your Eyes 

In many cases, rubbing your eyes is just a harmful habit. Although it may take some time to break the habit, most negative effects of chronic eye rubbing are reversible, so you’ll be sure to notice a positive difference quickly. 

 

Here are several useful tips that can teach you to stop rubbing your eyes: 

 

Apply a cool compress by folding a damp clean cloth over your eyes when you get the urge to rub itchy eyes. 

 

If you wear contacts, switch back to your glasses for a few weeks. The glasses will help you be more mindful of how often you feel the need to rub your eyes and give you the opportunity to prevent it.

When you wash your eyes, avoid using sponges or washcloths. Instead, gently massage the cleanser with your fingers and rinse well. 

 

If your eyes feel swollen or irritated, use a face roller or eye patches to calm your eyelid skin and reduce puffiness. 

 

Whenever you feel like something got stuck in your eyes, flush it out using artificial tear drops or an eye wash solution instead of rubbing the eye. 

 

Treat the underlying cause of itchy eyes, be it allergies or dry eye disease. 

 

Wear sunglasses or protective eye-wear when you’re outside or engaged in activities like sports or repair work.

Natural remedies to soothe the symptoms of chicken pox

Chicken pox is a contagious infection that usually affects children where they may experience itching and flu-like symptoms. This infection occurs due to the varicella-zoster virus which leads to chicken pox and at present, there is no cure available against it. However, a UK-based mother has found a unique way to soothe symptoms of this disease. After being advised to bathe her kid using a shampoo bubble bath, she posted on social media that the red angry red spots were gone within an hour and she recommends this pocket-friendly home remedy to every parent. While a shampoo could work wonders for your kid who is suffering from chicken pox, here, we share with you other home remedies you can try to soothe the symptoms of this disease.

Neem oil: You can apply this oil to soothe your skin. Its antiviral and antioxidant properties help to soothe inflamed skin and reduce itching which occurs when you are suffering from chicken pox.

Cool compress: If you are infected by the varicella-zoster virus which leads to chicken pox, you are likely to experience itchy, swollen, or red skin. Tackle these symptoms by using cool compress, simply dab a cotton cloth in water and apply it on the affected area. Also, make sure you don’t apply ice directly to the skin as you may worsen your condition.

Calamine lotion: Calamine lotion contains zinc oxide and its skin-soothing properties helps you curb down itching. Apply this lotion on the affected area using a cotton swab, but make sure that you avoid areas close to your eyes.

Over-the-counter medicine: If you are suffering from chicken pox, you are likely to experience high fever along with body ache and headache. To treat these symptoms, you can opt for an OTC painkiller like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. However, avoid taking aspirin as it can cause serious health problems.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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Air pollution: How to protect your eyes from smog and toxic pollutants

Air pollution can cause serious health problems, including breathing difficulties, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. It can affect your eyes, which are sensitive and prone to irritations from allergies, chemicals, and pollutants in the air. As the pollution levels increase, many people experience problems like dry eyes or allergic conjunctivitis, burning sensation, itchy and sore eyes, sensitivity to air and sun and mild blurring of vision, etc. The air quality in Delhi was recorded as hazardous and severe at several places after Diwali.

As the pollution levels continued to spike in Delhi-NCR, doctors have compared the impact of air pollution on public health to smoking 15-20 cigarettes a day. 

Air pollution and eye care

Here are a few precautions you can take to help minimise the risk of eye infections from smog and other air pollutants.

Avoid exposure to harmful pollutants and stay indoors, especially in the early hours of the morning when the pollution levels are at their peak - this is the golden rule.

If you have to step out, make sure you wear protective eyeglasses and shades which will help minimise your exposure to the pollution causing agents.

Wash your eyes thoroughly with clean, running water every morning, after reaching home from school/college/work and before going off to sleep.

Wash your hands often and avoid rubbing your eyes even if particulates enter them.

Use lubricating eye drops prescribed by eye specialists.

Do not wear contact lens and eye makeup if your eyes are itchy or feeling sore.

Apply a cool compress to help reduce inflammation. 

Do not use screen devices, such as mobile phones and laptops, for long hours. Make sure that you get adequate periods of rest to avoid eye fatigue, dry eyes, and computer vision syndrome.

Eat a healthy diet consisting of foods rich in omega 3s and antioxidants, such as fish, green leafy vegetables, carrots, spinach, almonds, walnuts, and berries - these are extremely good for the eyes.

Install a high-quality air filter or air purifier system at home to help protect your eyes and overall health from pollutants.

Avoid using decongestant eye formulation without medical supervision. 

See an ophthalmologist if you have red eyes, discharge, constant foreign body sensation or allergic symptoms.

Take a pledge today to contain pollution, after all, every small effort matters and everyone needs to do their own part urgently in this matter!  

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                                                             https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                       FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com