Rubbing your eyes is a common, but unhealthy habit. For many people, it's the first response when they’re tired, their eyes are dry or irritated, or when there's something in them. Rubbing both eyes does more harm than good, however. There are a few safe eye care options to get relief for any of these problems.

Why It's Bad for Your Eye Care to Rub Your Eyes

Your eyes have sensitive, delicate surfaces. If there's something in your eye, rubbing it can cause the object to scratch the surface of your cornea. Even if there's nothing there, rubbing causes irritation and breaks tiny blood vessels due to the pressure, causing redness, swelling, and increased discomfort.

You can also cause your corneas to grow thinner, after which the pressure inside your eyes will make them bulge outwards. If you already have problems with eye pressure, pushing on them can aggravate the issue, accelerating the development of glaucoma. Finally, you can even introduce bacteria and debris to your eyes from your hands, causing infections

What You Should Do Instead

Instead of rubbing your eyes, try to flush out whatever is irritating them. The safest eye care option is to use eye drops, artificial tears, or sterile saline for the task, but you can also use clean water.

Drip a little liquid into your eye, then blink and more your eye to try to get the object out. In addition to flushing out debris, this also helps moisten and soothe your eye so it will heal faster from any scratches and recover from dryness.

You can also wrap an ice pack in a cloth or hand towel and place it on your eyes for instant relief. The cool ice will immediately provide relief from irritation and itchiness.

If you can't get relief using eye drops, head to Dr. Thomas Deluca Dr. Anthony Marciano & Associates PC for professional eye care in Prospect, CT. Serving New Haven County, they use the latest technology to provide quality eye exams and treatment options, including glasses and contact lenses. Call (203) 758-4447 or visit their website to get started.