Experts told why you should not rub your eyes

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Many people mindlessly rub their eyes every day. In addition to hygiene risks, it can cause serious vision problems.

Ophthalmologist Vance Thompson told why it is better to get rid of the habit of rubbing your eyes. According to him, the cornea of ​​the eye can deform and weaken.

“When you bend metal back and forth several times, it gets tired and then cracks. Although the cornea does not crack, it begins to tire,” the specialist noted. 

In addition to damaging the structure of the eye, rubbing is dangerous for other reasons:

• excessive rubbing of the eyes can lead to the appearance of dark circles and wrinkles;
• if something gets into the eye, rubbing can cause more damage, it is better to let the tears wash away the irritant naturally;
• there is always a huge amount of bacteria on a person's hands, so touching your eyes with your fingers is not the best idea.

How friction can damage the eyes

The most serious disease caused by rubbing the eyes (besides blindness) is keratoconus, according to the website of the Cleveland Clinic. This is a non-inflammatory eye disease that gradually leads to thinning of the cornea. In addition, when rubbing, eye pressure increases. This causes stress on the retina and sometimes leads to its damage.

A safe way to rub your eyes

You should be very careful when touching your eyes. According to Mark Mifflin, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Utah, the amount of pressure required to gently wash or towel dry your face is the appropriate level of pressure for rubbing your eyes. A stronger influence can be harmful.

How to get rid of the habit of rubbing your eyes

If a person often rubs his eyes, you should try to identify and eliminate the cause of such a habit. It is possible that the eyes get tired from too long and frequent work at the computer or smartphone. In this case, it is important to regularly take breaks from work and consult with an ophthalmologist.