Retinal tear or detachment can occur due to the heightened eye pressure caused by the rubbing.
The most common causes of exudative retinal detachment are leaking blood vessels or swelling in the back of the eye. There are several things that can cause leaking blood vessels or swelling in your eye: Injury or trauma to your eye. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
Can Rubbing Your Eyes Cause Floaters? Yes, rubbing your eyes can cause floaters. Eye-rubbing causes eye trauma, including harm to the vitreous layer (which contains the floaters). But eye-rubbing isn't the only reason floaters exist.
Studies have shown that continuous eye rubbing in susceptible individuals can also lead to thinning of the cornea,1 which is weakened and pushes forward to become more conical. This is known as keratoconus, and is a serious condition that can lead to distorted vision and possibly the future need for a corneal graft.
Retinal detachment itself is painless. But warning signs almost always appear before it occurs or has advanced, such as: The sudden appearance of many floaters — tiny specks that seem to drift through your field of vision. Flashes of light in one or both eyes (photopsia)
A detached retina won't heal on its own. It's important to get medical care as soon as possible so you have the best odds of keeping your vision. Any surgical procedure has some risks.
Retinal detachment often happens spontaneously, or suddenly. The risk factors include age, nearsightedness, history of eye surgeries or trauma, and family history of retinal detachments. Call your eye care provider or go to the emergency room right away if you think you have a detached retina.
Rubbing too hard or too frequently might damage the lens of your eye or the cornea. This could result in vision impairment or an infection that needs medical attention. You should call your doctor right away if you experience: eye pain.
It can lead to a corneal abrasion.
When we rub our eyes, we run the risk of accidentally rubbing too hard or scratching our eye with our fingernails, which can lead to a corneal abrasion. A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the surface of your cornea, which can be incredibly painful, and take weeks to heal.
Avoid rubbing your eyes for relief
If you feel the need to rub your eyes, place a cool, damp washcloth over closed your eyes until the sensation subsides. You can also apply artificial tears or lubricant eye drops until you can visit your eye doctor to evaluate the cause of the itching.
Most eye floaters are caused by age-related changes that occur as the jelly-like substance (vitreous) inside your eyes liquifies and contracts. Scattered clumps of collagen fibers form within the vitreous and can cast tiny shadows on your retina. The shadows you see are called floaters.
Don't do things where you might move your head. This includes moving quickly, lifting anything heavy, or doing activities such as cleaning or gardening. You will probably need to take 2 to 4 weeks off from work. It depends on the type of work you do and how you feel.
Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is the most common type. It happens slowly over time. With it, you get a hole, tear, or break in the retina. That lets the vitreous gel -- the fluid from the middle of your eye -- leak under the retina.
A retinal detachment may cause permanent blindness over a matter of days and should be considered an eye emergency until evaluated by a retina specialist. Most retinal detachments occur suddenly and can threaten the central vision within hours or days.
The rate of progression of a retinal detachment can vary from days to weeks depending on many factors such as patient age as well as the size and the number of retinal tears. Gradual loss of peripheral vision in the form of a shadow, curtain, or cloud (this corresponds to the retina detaching.)
Certain factors can increase your risk for developing a retinal tear or detachment: Extreme nearsightedness (high myopia) Previous cataract surgery. Severe eye injury.
Pressing down on the eyeball can stimulate the vagus nerve, which slows down your heart rate and relieves stress by triggering your oculocardiac reflex. Despite the benefits associated with an occasional gentle ocular massage, rubbing your eyes can potentially do more harm than good.
Risk of increased eye pressure: Putting pressure on the globe of the eye drastically increases intraocular pressure (IOP). While the effect is temporary, prolonged rubbing can increase your risk of developing glaucoma, a potentially blinding eye disease, especially if the IOP spikes high enough.
Rubbing your eyes may push these objects deeper into your eyes and may cause small scratches in the cornea. Scratches in the eyes lead to redness, irritation, and light sensitivity. There might be serious complications like a fungal infection, or you may even lose your eyesight.
Options may include surgery to remove the vitreous or a laser to disrupt the floaters, although both procedures are rarely done. Surgery to remove the vitreous. An ophthalmologist who is a specialist in retina and vitreous surgery removes the vitreous through a small incision (vitrectomy).
If you experience any symptoms of retinal detachment, go to your eye doctor or the emergency room right away. Early treatment can help prevent permanent vision loss. It's also important to get comprehensive dilated eye exams regularly.
Signs of a detached retina
For example, the most common warning sign is a sudden increase in the number of floaters in your eye. It might look like a waterfall of floaters sliding over your field of vision. You might also experience: Flashes of light in one or both eyes.
They can result in blurry vision, the appearance of flashes, floaters, or spots in the field of vision, a darkening of the vision, or a loss of peripheral vision. The only difference is that retinal tears may not cause immediate symptoms and retinal detachment usually does.
Living with the effects of retinal detachment can be daunting at first. Treatment is available, but its success can depend on how quickly it happens – and how much damage has already occurred. However, most people live independently with a good level of vision following retinal detachment surgery.