It’s very common for children and babies to rub their eyes as it brings them comfort and sometimes relief. Children tend to rub their eyes for a number of reasons, from tiredness, irritation, allergies or dryness. While it can be tempting when your eyes are tired or irritated, as your child gets older, it’s important to try to discourage them from rubbing their eyes to prevent retinal damage, cornea changes, infections, and more. To monitor your child’s eye health, schedule an annual children’s eye exam with a local eye doctor in Vaughan, Dr. Brian Abrams.
Here is why it is important to avoid rubbing your eyes and how you can help your children learn how to stop.
Conjunctivitis and Pink Eye
Especially with children, who have more trouble keeping their hands free of dirt, debris, and bacteria, rubbing your eyes introduces bacteria and contaminants from your hand to your eye, leaving the eye more vulnerable to infection and viruses. Even if you wash your hands diligently, it is still possible to get an infection from rubbing your eyes.
Retinal Damage
When done aggressively or continually, rubbing the eyes can cause tears in the retina. While it would take very intensive rubbing to cause the retina to tear or detach, it is still a possibility that is best avoided altogether. If there is a retinal tear, the injury would need expert care.
Keratoconus
Over time, excessive rubbing of the eyes can alter the shape of the cornea. The rubbing motion pushes the cornea and causes it to bulge out over time, resulting in myopia or nearsightedness and astigmatism. As keratoconus progresses, a unique contact lens is required.
How to Stop Children from Rubbing Their Eyes
The best way to help prevent your child from rubbing their eyes is by addressing the causes of their problem.
- Tiredness: When children are tired, they instinctively rub their eyes. Creating a consistent sleep routine can reduce eye rubbing caused by fatigue. Watch for signs like yawning, fussiness, or eye rubbing and encourage rest before overtiredness sets in.
- Dry Eyes: Children may rub their eyes to relieve dryness or discomfort. A humidifier in their room or artificial tears (recommended by an eye doctor in Vaughan) can provide relief. Monitoring and minimizing screentime can also help reduce dry eyes and support the healthy development of your child’s eyes. If you notice signs of continual dry eyes in your children, such as complaints of eye discomfort, blurred vision, excessive eye watering, light sensitivity, or frequent blinking, book a children’s eye exam. Dr. Brian Abrams provides careful and comprehensive eye care for the entire family and can provide effective dry eye treatments.
- Irritants: Soap, dust, or even tiny eyelashes can irritate the eyes. Teach your child to gently blink or flush the eye with clean water rather than rubbing when it feels like there is something in their eye. Keeping hands clean and trimming nails also helps reduce irritation and the risk of infection.
- Habit: Often, rubbing the eyes just becomes a habit for children. You can help reduce the frequency with gentle reminders and positive reinforcement. Alternatives like a cool compress can help manage the urge.
Besides practicing preventative solutions, you can also share the reasons it’s essential to protect their eyes and vision and encourage them to ask questions when they visit their eye doctor in Vaughan. Dr. Brian Abrams is experienced with children and can answer questions to ease parents’ and children’s concerns.
A Children’s Eye Exam with Dr. Brian Abrams in Woodbridge
Keep your children’s eyes taken care of with regular eye exams to help identify and address treatment needs. Younger children have more of a challenge expressing their symptoms or advocating for their needs. Visits with Dr. Brian Abrams, a trusted eye doctor in Vaughan, can help parents like you get more insight into the health of your children’s eyes and give you the tools you need to support your child’s healthy eyes.
