WASHING EYES WITH WATER – GOOD OR BAD ?

We have been often advised by our peers to splash water on our faces while we sit on computer or hook on to a television for longer hours. The reason, they say, is to get fresh and give a rest to our eyes and we have just held on to that advice as if it were a bible.

But has one ever wondered that washing the eyes by splashing water on them is actually asking for an eye trouble?

Many of our ancient traditions like yoga seem to advocate frequent washing of eyes. But, a detailed study on the activity by doctors has revealed that routinely washing your eyes with tap water is NOT a good idea. What it actually does is it washes away the tear film which covers the surface of the eye. The tears are not just water; they have lipids to lubricate the surface, electrolytes to maintain the pH and immune proteins to protect against infection, etc.

The optical surface is optimized to clean itself. The normal protection mechanism of the eye is for the dust etc. to collect at the base of the eye lashes. Hence, doctors often advice their patients to wash their eyes with their eyes closed. So if you have been out in a dusty atmosphere, close your eyes and wash the outside of the eyes especially the roots of the eye lashes.

The only time washing is indicated is when an irritating chemical gets into the eye .If an acid or alkali gets into the eye , wash the eyes continuously for about 10 minutes and then seek the help of an eye doctor.

So, if a particle has gone in the eye, blink a lot – this will dislodge it .If it doesn’t, try splashing water for a few minutes. If this too doesn’t help, go to an eye doctor. It is not a good idea to try and remove it with a wet cloth – you will ultimately dislodge a lot of epithelium and eye infection can occur.