Rubbing your eyes feels like one of life’s small, innocent pleasures. According to ophthalmologists, it’s causing more damage than you’d think, and they’d very much like you to stop.
Taylor Starnes and Neelam Patadia, eye care specialists at the University of Illinois Chicago, recently explained exactly why rubbing your eyes is a habit you need to break, and what’s actually driving the urge in the first place.
Close to 50% of cases of eye itching are attributed to allergic conjunctivitis, in which allergens trigger an inflammatory response in the conjunctiva, the clear membrane covering the surface of the eye. That process releases chemicals that produce the itch. Dry eye syndrome and blepharitis are also common causes, both creating a gritty, uncomfortable feeling that most people’s hands move toward without any conscious decision to do so.
The cornea takes the worst of it. Keratoconus is the most serious documented risk — the cornea thins gradually, loses its normal curvature, and starts affecting vision in ways that get harder to correct over time. Cross-linking can slow it down by reinforcing the cornea’s structure, but many patients still need specialized contact lenses after that. The most advanced cases require a corneal transplant.
This Common Eye-Rubbing Habit Could Be Doing More Damage Than You Think
Aggressive rubbing can also cause corneal abrasions, painful scratches on the eye’s surface that require antibiotic treatment. It can also rupture small blood vessels, causing the eye to go visibly red — alarming-looking, though it generally resolves on its own within a couple of weeks. And rubbing with unwashed hands is a reliably gross way to spread conjunctivitis, including the highly contagious viral kind.
For persistent itching, artificial tears are the first line of defense, and they work even better cold. Cool compresses help too. If allergies are the issue, over-the-counter antihistamines or mast cell stabilizer eye drops are a reasonable next step, along with efforts to identify and limit exposure to whatever’s triggering the reaction. The “get the red out” drops are best skipped — they make your eyes look better for about 20 minutes and come with side effects that outweigh the benefits.
If none of that works, it’s time to see a doctor. The eyes aren’t a place to tough it out.
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