Due to ocd, I sometimes flush my eyes with non-distilled tap water like 10 times.
Can it damage my eyes ?
Due to ocd, I sometimes flush my eyes with non-distilled tap water like 10 times.
Can it damage my eyes ?
Yes. It can. Don’t wash your eyes unless you have something in them.
If you feel you must rinse them, use a saline solution designed for eyes. A big bottle costs like $5 at the store.
I used to flush my face and eyes every morning with cold water, cause I had sleepstuff from the night in my eyes and to shock me to wake up. These days i sleep in every day.
I misspoke. A big bottle costs $3 in my grocery store.
How do you mean can damage them ? What are the chances ?
Maybe bacteria can get into eyes with tap water and can cause infection ?
You will wear away the surface of your eyeball. The fluid is meant to protect your eye, and if you wash it away multiple times a day, it will not have anything protecting it.
I know how hard it is to change an OCD habit, but you really have to. I had to learn to stop cleaning my ears with q tips because I kept getting ear infections. It was so hard to stop, but I had to. You just need to modify your compulsion to something a little bit healthier. Start by using saline eye drops instead of tap water. It is very cheap. You can find it in the toiletries section of a grocery store or pharmacy, in with contact solution. Once you are good doing that, start trying to use less saline each time. Your eyes probably feel irritated all the time because you keep washing them with chlorinated and calcium-rich tap water, and washing away the protective fluid.
Once few months ago, i washed my eyes 15 times in one hour. Then next day i visited eye doctor, she said my cornia is fine. But she did mentioned if you wash it multiple times, your natural tears which protects the eyes will go away. She said to wash it with soft water like distilled water.
the more water you put in your eyes the less protective tears your body will produce. its like diabetes
One more question, what does natural fluid/tears of eyes protect you against ?
It is not so much an issue of protection, but its an osmolalic regulator that helps balance ph for optimal cell function and nutrient exchange
kinda like the site moderators
I’m not an eye doctor. You could ask yours, I’m sure they would know better. It sounds like yours has already given you some advice.
Tears protect you from bacteria and viruses.
I learned this in physiology and anatomy classes.
By a Microbiologist PhD:
Tears have lysozyme , an enzyme, as a constituent. Lysozyme is an antibacterial substance which can kill gram positive and, to a lesser extent, gram negative bacteria by cleaving the beta glycosidic bonds in their cell wall. The bacterial cell wall is made up of a structure called peptidoglycan or murein.
Whats the worst case scenario for washing it many times with tap water ? Can it cause vision loss or cornea damage ?
No but your eyes will be more prone to infections.
Not a good thing.
it also leads to ‘dry eye’
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