How Long After LASIK Can I Rub My Eye?

Immediately following your LASIK procedure in Cheasapeke, Virginia Beach, you will be sent home wearing an eye shield meant to protect your eyes as they heal. Eye protection is especially important at this time, as the flap created in your cornea during surgery is now re-attaching as part of the body’s natural healing process. Rubbing or touching the eyes at this time could cause the flap to become dislodged, interrupting the healing process. 

So how long should you avoid rubbing your eyes after LASIK? As a general rule, you should completely avoid rubbing the eyes for the first two weeks post-op. After this time, it is okay to gently rub your eyes, although it is always best to avoid eye rubbing if possible whether you have had LASIK or not. 

Rubbing your eyes can have seriously harmful consequences. Common risks from rubbing your eyes include:

• Eye Infection – Rubbing your eyes, especially with unclean hands, can be dangerous and lead to infections such as pink eye. 
• Eye Injury – One of the most common reasons people rub their eyes is having something in the eye. If you have a foreign object in your eye, rubbing your eyes is the most dangerous way to get it out. Doing so could cause the particle to scratch your cornea, injuring your eye. Using eye drops is the best way to wash out the foreign particle from the eye. 
• Dark Circles – Rubbing your eyes can cause small blood vessels to break in your eyelids resulting in dark circles.  

• Keratoconus – Rubbing your eyes over a long period of time can lead to a thinning of the cornea. This can also lead to recurring eye infections and even a condition known as keratoconus, which often leads to a significant vision distortion and a reduction in visual acuity. 
• Increased Eye Pressure – Rubbing your eyes can cause an increase in eye pressure. For most patients, eye pressure returns to normal when they stop rubbing their eyes. For some people with certain eye conditions, an increase in eye pressure can be more serious, even sight threatening. 

To learn more about LASIK or to schedule a consultation with Our Doctors, contact Tidewater Eye today at 757-483-0400 or website.