While rubbing your eyes may seem like a harmless habit, it can damage your cornea. You may end up with a corneal abrasion.
Reports from Medscape show that corneal abrasions account for nearly 10% of eye-related emergency visits. You can get an abrasion by just mindlessly rubbing your eyes to get comfort. Although you may get temporary relief, it is an action you should avoid to protect your eyes.
Luckily, knowing about eye health protection is easy. With expert guidance and resources, you can ensure your vision is superb.
Why Do We Rub Our Eyes?
A lot of people rub their eyes daily. Here are factors that can make you rub your eyes often:
- Dry eyes: When your eyes become dry.
- Fatigue: When you get tired, and your eyes strain.
- Irritants: When allergens, dust, or foreign objects get into your eyes.
While rubbing your eyes may give you a little comfort, it can cause more harm than good. Next time you experience the urge to rub your eyes, don't do it.
Can You Get a Corneal Abrasion from Rubbing Eyes?
Rubbing your eyes is one of the causes of corneal scratches. If you suffer from a corneal condition, these scratches can take longer to go away. This increases your risk of eye infection.
When you rub your eyes excessively, you may also affect your cornea's shape. Over time, this pressure can result in keratoconus. This progressive eye condition causes your cornea to become thinner and gradually bulge outward into a cone-like shape.
As per the Cornea Research Foundation of America, nearly 50 to 200 of every 100,000 individuals suffer from keratoconus. When you have this condition, your cornea will often thin out and bulge in a cone shape. As a result, it causes high astigmatism, blurred vision, and light sensitivity.
What Are Some Corneal Abrasion Symptoms?
One way to reduce eye irritation is to know when you have a corneal abrasion. Here are symptoms that show you that you have corneal scratches:
- Severe pain
- Redness
- Watery eyes
- Blurry vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Difficulty opening the eye
- A feeling that something is stuck in your eye
If you experience these symptoms, make sure you call your ophthalmologist. Treating corneal scratches can cause infections. Without treatment, an infection can end up damaging your vision.
What Are The Other Causes of Sharp Pain in the Eye?
Apart from corneal abrasions, there are other causes of sharp stabbing pain in eye. Here are a few that you should watch out for:
Dirt in the Eye
You may experience a sharp pain if dirt gets into your eye. This pain can get worse when you blink. To get relief, flush the debris from your eyes.
Eye Infections
From conjunctivitis to keratitis, these eye infections cause eye pain. Signs you have an eye infection include:
- Watering
- Redness
- Swollen eyes
- Discharge that can be yellow-green pus
If you get any of these signs, visit an ER to get your eyes checked. The doctor may recommend antibiotic eye drops for the infections.
Issues With Your Contact Lens
Sometimes, your contact lenses can get caught in your eye. This situation is usually painful. You'll often feel like something is stuck in your eye.
If you have contact lenses, here are some of your safe eye care tips:
- Do not sleep with your contact lenses.
- Lubricate your eyes with resetting drops.
- Clean and store contacts correctly.
- Visit your ophthalmologist once a year for an exam and fitting.
- Don't wear your contact lenses for a period without changing them.
Contact lenses give you freedom. However, you need to follow these instructions as part of your eye injury prevention routine.
Dry Eye
Your eyes have three layers of tear film that cover them. These layers keep your eyes clean and help you see. While your eyes often make tears for moisture, you can dry out your eyes if you:
- Cry a lot
- Wear contact lenses
- Use drugs with side effects
- Use your screen a lot
- Have certain health issues
When your eyes are dry, they hurt a lot. You can get quick relief by using artificial tears. Additionally, your doctor can insert punctal plugs into the tear ducts to stop tears from draining away.
Optic Neuritis
With optic neuritis, you'll experience swelling of your eye's optic nerve. It mostly happens when your immune system attacks the optic nerve, leading to damage. If you have optic neuritis, you'll often experience pain in the back of your eye or when moving your eye.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can You Break the Habit of Eye Rubbing?
Knowing the risks of eye rubbing is the first step in breaking the habit. Next, pay attention to things that make you rub your eyes. Once you do, find ways to address them.
You often want to rub your eyes to stop discomfort. Instead of rubbing, use lubricating eye drops. They can help you lessen dryness and discomfort without rubbing.
Additionally, you can place a cold compress over your closed eyes. It will help you relieve itching or irritation. You should also wash your hands often to reduce the risk of transferring irritants to your eyes.
How Long Does It Take for a Corneal Scraping to Heal?
Minor corneal abrasions can heal within 24 to 72 hours. The fast healing happens because of the fastest cell turnover rates in your corneal epithelium. For moderate scratches to the corneal surface, it may take two to three days for you to heal.
If you have scratches that penetrate deeper than the surface epithelium, it may take five to seven days or longer for you to feel better. These injuries have a lot of complications. You'll need close monitoring from your eye doctor.
What Should You Eat to Heal Your Cornea?
Eating fruits like oranges and grapefruit can help you heal your cornea. These foods are good sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C is often needed to make collagen, a protein that gives your eyes structure.
Protect Your Eyes from Corneal Abrasion
Rubbing your eyes isn't the relief you need for your eyes. It only adds to the trouble, increasing your risk of getting a corneal abrasion. Make sure you avoid eye rubs.
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This article was prepared by an independent contributor and helps us continue to deliver quality news and information.
