Rubbing your eyes is a common, almost unconscious habit, often bringing immediate comfort and relief, especially when tired or irritated. While it feels good, there are underlying physiological and mechanical reasons for this sensation, alongside potential risks.
The Body’s Calming Response
Applying pressure to the eyes can trigger the oculocardiac reflex, a physiological response involving the vagus nerve. This reflex causes the heart rate to slow down and can induce a calming effect on the body. The vagus nerve, a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system, signals the body to relax, reducing stress and promoting a sense of well-being.
This stimulation can potentially lead to the release of neurochemicals like endorphins, which are natural pain relievers and mood elevators produced by the body. These chemicals bind to reward centers in the brain, contributing to the pleasurable feeling.
Physical Relief and Sensory Input
Rubbing your eyes can stimulate tear production, which helps to lubricate dry eyes and wash away irritants like dust or allergens. This increase in lubrication provides immediate relief from discomfort. Tears also help to maintain a smooth surface on the cornea, essential for clear vision.
The pressure applied during rubbing can temporarily reshape the cornea, the eye’s clear front surface. While this reshaping is usually brief and not intended for vision correction, it might momentarily improve vision by smoothing out the tear film or dislodging debris. The tactile sensation of pressure on the eyelids also provides a gentle massage to the eye muscles, which can alleviate tension. This mechanical action can also stimulate meibomian glands, helping to secrete oils that keep the tear film stable and prevent dryness.
Understanding the Risks
Despite the immediate comfort, rubbing your eyes carries several risks that can lead to damage. One common danger is corneal abrasions, or scratches on the eye’s surface. These can occur from fingernails, foreign particles, or aggressive rubbing, causing pain and increasing the risk of infection.
Eye rubbing can also increase intraocular pressure (IOP), the fluid pressure inside the eye. While this increase is often temporary, sustained or frequent elevation can be problematic for individuals with conditions like glaucoma, potentially damaging the optic nerve and leading to vision loss. Transferring germs from hands to eyes through rubbing can also cause infections such as conjunctivitis (pink eye).
Chronic or forceful eye rubbing is also a known risk factor for keratoconus, a condition where the cornea thins and bulges into a cone shape, leading to distorted vision. This weakening of the cornea’s collagen fibers is exacerbated by the mechanical stress of rubbing. Eye rubbing can also worsen existing conditions like myopia or allergies, and can contribute to premature skin aging around the eyes.