Frequent rubbing of the eyes. What should we pay attention to?
Without necessarily being a worrying symptom, attention is needed because it may be associated with one of the following:
- Allergies due to pollen (seasonal), dust, dirt or animal hair
- Prolonged use of screens (especially mobile) that cause fatigue and dryness of the eyes
- Need for glasses and vision difficulty that children cannot express
- Blepharitis, dry eyes, eyelid dermatitis, infectious conjunctivitis
- Corneal abrasion, foreign body sensation
- Habit/nervousness without an underlying physical problem – rubbing relieves stress
When to consult a pediatrician or ophthalmologist:
- If the rubbing is accompanied byredness, pain, swelling, tears, burning ordischarge
- If he complains that he cannot see well continuously or with fluctuations
- If he blinks his eyes excessively and persists forseveral days
- If he has ahistory of allergies or similar symptoms at other times
What you can do in the meantime:
- Frequent hand washing and avoiding eye rubbing
- Apply a cold compress to closed eyes
- Gentle washing with saline or artificial tears
- Search for a possible irritant in the environment (dust, pet, new detergent)
- Limit time in front of screens and use glasses instead of contact lenses
- Avoid wind, dry air, sunlight
Harmful effects of rubbing:
- Worsening itching (due to the release of additional histamine), infection
- Injury to the cornea, conjunctiva, eyelids – hyposphagnum, dark circles
- Worsening of keratoconus, glaucoma, myopia
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