7 negative effects of rubbing your eyes

Causes eye disease: Rubbing the eyes can weaken and deform the cornea, causing keratoconus – a condition where the cornea becomes thinner. In severe cases, a corneal transplant may be necessary.

Scratching your cornea: You often rub your eyes when something gets in them, like an eyelash or a small speck of dust, but this actually makes the situation worse by causing scratches and potentially corneal ulcers. In this case, the solution is to rinse your eyes with saline solution.

Worsening glaucoma: If you have glaucoma, rubbing your eyes can damage the optic nerves and, more seriously, cause blindness.

Worsening nearsightedness: Numerous studies have shown that people with nearsightedness who frequently rub or scratch their eyes can cause negative effects on their eyes, making their condition worse.

Increased risk of eye infections: Your hands can harbor thousands of germs, and touching your eyes without washing your hands can cause conjunctivitis, or pink eye.

Eyelid drooping: Rubbing the eyes can damage the eyeball and cause a loss of elasticity in the skin around the eyes, leading to drooping or sagging eyelids.

It can make your eyes red: When you rub your eyes too hard, the small blood vessels in your eyes can rupture, resulting in red, bloodshot eyes.