When you asked keratoconus
patients, almost all would say that they indeed had a history of eye rubbing.
I always tell patients that the eyeball is similar to a bread, when you
try to use your hand to squeeze the bread, some portion will be dented.
Similar to it, the cornea, when rubbed may be dented in one area. The
difference in the curvature produced by eye rubbing can lead to astigmatism. Eye rubbing can produce surface irregularity on the cornea and triggers keratoconus in some susceptible patients.
Why do patients rub their eyes? Eyes can
be itchy due to allergies. When allergies are found, it is important to
rule out the cause and manage it well. Anti-histamine medicines can be taken,
but if the allergy is only found on the eye, then anti-histamine drops can be
used to control the itchiness. Sometimes, mechanical issues such
as eyelashes growing inwards (photo above), which poke the cornea can cause the
eye to be irritated. Irritation of course will lead to patients rubbing their eyes more. A quick check with an optometrist can rule this out.
How to manage this? If the rebel lashes are just a couple, then
they can just be plucked out, however if there are more, we can consider: soft contact lens wear to protect the eye; Or in some cases lid surgery to
correct the position of the growth. Be reminded though that
sometimes, plucking of the lashes has to be done regularly as the lashes may
still grow the same way. If you see your kids starting to blink more
frequently or rub their eyes more, bring them to your friendly
optometrist so you will be advised of what to do
to manage the condition.
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