Why doctors warn against rubbing your eyes

When colours splash into your eyes at Holi, people often want to wipe them fast, like a reflex, to ease the burn or itch. But that instinctive move? Doctor’s say it’s more dangerous than anyone thinks.

Every year, Holi paints everything bright red, green, yellow. Friends run around tossing powder, squirting water through small guns. Voices rise high, mixed with giggles and shouts under open skies. Still beneath smiling faces hides something not talked about much, eye harm from chemical dyes. Pressing a palm to the eye comes naturally when pigment slips beneath the lid, chasing away sting or irritation. Paint, coated fingers, gritty from street dust, make this moment riskier than most realize. That quick rub, done without thought, holds consequences rarely considered.

The hidden danger in Holi colours

Most labels claim natural colour, though almost all contain synthetic shades, harsh metals, tiny mica flakes, things that aren’t gentle. When wet, these grains near the eye can cause redness, soreness, stinging, along with sudden bursts of watering. Touching brings more risk, since residue gets pushed deeper, scratching every time skin meets eyeball.

Dr Hardik Parikh, who treats eyes at Global Eye Clinic, shared insights. His take came through a conversation that peeled into reasons behind rising eye issues when Holi arrives.

On Holi, we see an increase in patients with complaints of eye irritation, redness, and even injuries. The most common blunder is rubbing the eyes hard if colours enter them, he explained. Colours have small chemical particles, and if they come in contact with the cornea, they behave like sand.

He added that awareness is key. The solution is to educate people on what to do in the first instance, i.e., to wash the eyes with a lot of clean running water. The preventive measures include wearing glasses and using organic colours. One should avoid using milk and ghee after exposure to colours, as they can lead to more contamination, he said.

He suggested some steps to take if colour enters your eyes:

Rinse thoroughly at first, using clean water or a sanitized salt blend. Only when everything has vanished should you stop.

Blinking often sweeps gunk out without effort. Every shut of the eyelids pumps up wetness inside.

Maintain a distance from your eyes. Rubbing may cause irritation. Touching might introduce unwanted particles. The eyes react badly to physical contact. Leave them undisturbed whenever possible. (Agencies)

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