If you’ve undergone laser eye surgery by a Los Angeles LASIK professional, you might already be familiar with the fact that rubbing your eyes is a big no-no. After all, you were probably given strict instructions to not touch your eyes the first couple of weeks after surgery so as to not interrupt your recovery. But did you know that rubbing your eyes is actually very dangerous for other reasons that have nothing to do with harming the incisions from your surgery? That’s right, this simple act most of us do daily for itchy eye relief can cause us more harm than good and lead to various eye issues well after your recovery period is over.
Why rubbing our eyes is dangerous
The main reason why rubbing your eyes is dangerous is because of the damage it can cause to your cornea. The cornea is the outermost layer of the eye that serves as a protective barrier and also allows you to see by bending light so it may enter the eye. As important as the corneas are, they are also fragile, and rubbing your eyes puts unnecessary pressure on them. This extra pressure can actually bend the shape of the cornea in an unfavorable way that makes it harder for light to get through, leading to weakened and poor vision. At its most severe, studies suggest that excessive eye rubbing can lead to keratoconus, a condition in which vision is distorted because the cornea has become thin and conical in shape. If you’ve had laser eye surgery in Los Angeles, this is probably the last thing you’d want to happen to your eyesight considering what you went through to return it to the optimal state it’s currently at.
Aside from the corneal damage rubbing your eyes can cause, it should also be avoided for sanitary and cosmetic reasons. If you rub your eyes with dirty hands, you run the risk of giving yourself an infection, such as conjunctivitis. These types of infections can cause increased irritation, and are just a general nuisance to get under control. Additionally, rubbing your eyes can stretch the delicate area under and around your eye sockets, causing sagging and wrinkled skin. Overall, it’d be best for everyone to just step away from this harmful habit in order to upkeep their eye health, especially those of us who have gone the extra mile to care for their eyesight by electing to restore their vision via a Los Angeles LASIK procedure.
What can we do instead of rubbing our eyes? Try eye drops
Generally, we rub our eyes to provide relief to dry, itchy, or irritated eyes. Rubbing them can often take away that discomfort, but fortunately you can get the same results by using eye drops! There’s a wide range of eye drop products available on the market, from non-medicated artificial tears to medicated drops. Some products are better fit to address some eye issues over others, for example; you might want to opt for artificial tears if your eyes simply need an extra boost of moisture, but if you commonly experience itchy eyes because of allergies then you should try medicated antihistamine eye drops. Overall, eye drops are meant to lubricate your eyes, which helps combat irritation and reduces the need to rub your eyes in the first place.
If the irritation persists, visit your local LASIK eye center in Los Angeles to talk to a specialist who can offer more insight and recommendations. This may be a hard habit to kick, but in the long run, you will most certainly benefit from it. Not to mention, your eyes will thank you!