Warning! Rubbing your eyes can damage your eye health

An international team of researchers from France, Morocco, and the United Kingdom decided to put artificial intelligence to work on this dilemma. They designed an application for smartwatches that can detect when we rub our eyes. Goodbye, Sherlock Holmes, hello smartwatch!

The watch uses sensors to track our movements and, thanks to an ingenious deep learning model, can differentiate between a simple head scratch and eye rubbing.

What's the result? An accuracy of 94%. Now, these watches could send alerts when we go overboard with rubbing, helping to control its impact on our eye health. Technology to the rescue of our eyeballs!

The Deceptive Relief

Those seconds of relief we feel when rubbing our eyes are just an illusion. Although it may seem like we are alleviating dryness or irritation, the reality is that we are playing with fire. Rubbing the eyes generates additional tears, but it also activates the oculocardiac reflex, which can decrease heart rate. A whole combo of deceptive sensations!

Constant friction not only aggravates eye allergies by stimulating histamine production, but it also increases the risk of damaging the cornea. And trust me, you don't want your eyelashes to become enemies of the cornea, constantly brushing against it. In extreme cases, we can even tear or detach the retina, which requires urgent medical attention.

Don't rub, seek solutions!

Entonces, ¿qué hacemos cuando nuestros ojos pican? La respuesta es sencilla: ¡no te frotes! Los oftalmólogos recomiendan usar compresas frías o gotas lubricantes para calmar esa picazón molesta. Enfría las gotas antes de usarlas para un efecto aún más refrescante. ¡Es como darle un spa a tus ojos!
Never underestimate the importance of consulting a professional if the problem persists. As Dr. Anahí Lupinacci points out, only an expert can provide an accurate diagnosis. And if you thought the recommendations ended here, the Cleveland Clinic in the United States also suggests measures to protect your eyes.