When can I rub my eye after an eye injection?

The urge to rub is strong because of the gritty feeling, and that feeling is exactly what makes rubbing a bad idea. The ASRS attributes the sensation that something is in your eye to the povidone-iodine antiseptic, not to an actual object. Rubbing will not remove anything, and while the eye is still numb you cannot feel how hard you are pressing.

Two risks matter. Rubbing a numb, antiseptic-coated surface can scratch the cornea, which makes the gritty feeling much worse and last longer. And rubbing with fingers moves bacteria from the lids and lashes toward a fresh needle entry point, which runs against the ASRS instruction to avoid potential contamination of the eye that day.

Use preservative-free artificial tears instead. The ASRS says artificial tears, preferably sterile single use droppers, can be used to ease dryness and surface irritation. Once the surface irritation has settled, usually within a day or two, ordinary incidental touching is no longer a concern. If the eye still feels like something is in it after a couple of days, call the office rather than rubbing harder.