It's almost a reflex: we are many to rub our eyes in case of allergy or simple irritation of the eye. But as explained by surgeon ophthalmologist Damien Gatinel, the Rothschild Foundation, this gesture a priori benign is not really safe because it can cause a keratoconus, which is a deformation of the cornea. "If we do not rub our eyes, it is unlikely to have a keratoconus, if not at all," he says in No Rendezvous , Tuesday on Europe 1.
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"You really have to explain to the children that it's not good to do that with knuckles and tight fists," says the doctor. "For patients who come for surgery, once the topography has been done [a first eye examination before an operation to treat myopia, Ed], they are asked if they rub their eyes. Unmistakably, when they have a little irregular corneas, they answer that they are allergic. "
A video to raise awareness
To convince that this gesture is not good for eye health, the Rothschild Foundation has published a video that details precisely the effects of this rubbing of the eyes on the cornea.
"We can rub the corner of the eye," concedes Damien Gatinel, "but the best is not to touch his eyes" to avoid triggering a keratoconus and having to go through the surgery box, with a cost "of 1,000 to 2,000 euros per eye "to cure myopia.