Eye Rubbing and Keratoconus: Can Rubbing Damage Your Cornea? | Dr David Gunn

Last reviewed: 25 Aug 2026 by Dr David Gunn , FRANZCO • 4 min read

Woman rubbing an irritated eye while working at a laptop, illustrating the potential effects of frequent eye rubbing on corneal health and keratoconus.

Can Rubbing Your Eyes Affect Your Cornea?

We all do it occasionally. Your eyes feel itchy or irritated and rubbing them provides a few seconds of relief. During Brisbane’s allergy season, it can become an almost automatic habit.

An occasional gentle rub is unlikely to cause a problem for most people. However, frequent or vigorous eye rubbing is something I encourage patients to avoid, particularly if they have keratoconus or an irregular corneal shape.

As a corneal and refractive surgeon, I regularly ask patients about eye rubbing because of its well-recognised association with keratoconus, a condition that changes the shape and structure of the cornea.

Why Can Eye Rubbing Be a Problem?

The cornea is the clear, curved window at the front of your eye. It plays an important role in focusing light, so even relatively small changes to its shape can affect the quality of your vision.

Repeated, forceful eye rubbing places mechanical stress on the cornea. Research has found a strong association between chronic eye rubbing and keratoconus.

That doesn’t mean rubbing your eyes automatically causes keratoconus. The condition is complex, and genetics and other factors can also play a role. However, if someone already has keratoconus or is predisposed to developing it, avoiding vigorous eye rubbing is particularly important.

What Is the Link Between Eye Rubbing and Keratoconus?

Keratoconus occurs when the normally rounded cornea progressively becomes thinner and develops a more irregular, cone-like shape.

As the cornea changes, you may notice:

Increasing or irregular astigmatism
Frequent changes to your glasses prescription
Blurred or distorted vision
Glare, particularly at night
“Ghosting” or multiple images around objects
Vision that is no longer fully corrected with glasses

These changes can be gradual, which means some people initially assume they simply need a stronger glasses prescription.

If you have keratoconus, reducing or stopping eye rubbing is an important part of minimising unnecessary mechanical stress on the cornea.

For progressive keratoconus, corneal cross-linking may be recommended. This treatment is designed to strengthen and stabilise the cornea and reduce the risk of further progression. Other treatment options may also be considered depending on the shape of the cornea, severity of the condition and your individual visual needs.

Can Eye Rubbing Affect Your Suitability for LASIK?

This is something that often comes up when patients are considering laser eye surgery in Brisbane.

Before recommending LASIK, PRK, CLEAR® or another refractive procedure, we need to know that the cornea is suitable for treatment. This involves carefully assessing its shape, thickness and overall stability.

If corneal imaging reveals keratoconus or another significant irregularity, certain types of laser eye surgery may not be appropriate.

However, being unsuitable for LASIK does not necessarily mean you have no other options. The first step is understanding why your cornea is unsuitable. Depending on your eyes and prescription, alternative treatments may be considered.

What Can You Do Instead of Rubbing Your Eyes?

If you constantly feel the urge to rub your eyes, it is worth finding out what is making them itchy or irritated rather than simply trying to resist the habit.

Depending on the cause, appropriate lubricating or allergy eye drops may also help. If the itching, redness or irritation keeps returning, speak with your optometrist, GP or ophthalmologist about the underlying cause.

Most importantly, try to avoid forceful rubbing or pressing directly on the eyeball, particularly if you have keratoconus or have previously been told that your corneal shape is unusual.

When Should You Have Your Cornea Checked?

Consider having your cornea assessed if you have noticed that:

Your astigmatism is increasing
Your glasses prescription keeps changing
Your vision has become distorted or “ghosted”
Glasses no longer provide the clarity they once did
You have a family history of keratoconus
You have been told your cornea is irregular
You were previously told you may not be suitable for laser eye surgery

Detailed corneal tomography, including Pentacam imaging, allows us to map the front and back surfaces of the cornea and assess its shape and thickness. These measurements can help identify keratoconus and other corneal irregularities.

Concerned About Your Corneal Health?

If you’ve been rubbing your eyes for years, there’s no need to assume that you’ve damaged them. But if your vision is changing, your astigmatism is increasing or you’ve previously been told your corneas are unusual, it is worth having them properly assessed.

A detailed corneal examination can help us understand what is happening and, importantly, determine whether any treatment or ongoing monitoring is needed.

Book a corneal assessment with Dr David Gunn or call (07) 3239 5005 to speak with our team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can rubbing your eyes cause keratoconus?

Keratoconus has multiple contributing factors, including genetic susceptibility. Frequent and vigorous eye rubbing is strongly associated with the condition and may contribute to its development or progression in susceptible eyes.

Can eye rubbing make astigmatism worse?

Changes in corneal shape, including those caused by keratoconus, can produce increasing or irregular astigmatism. If your prescription is changing frequently, corneal imaging may be recommended.

Can I have LASIK if I have keratoconus?

Conventional LASIK is generally not appropriate for an eye with keratoconus because the cornea is already structurally abnormal. Other treatments or vision-correction options may be considered following specialist assessment.

How do you check for keratoconus?

Corneal topography or tomography can create detailed maps of the corneal shape. Pentacam imaging can also assess corneal thickness and detect changes that may not be obvious during a routine eye examination.