Most of us think washing our eyes or splashing water in them when they feel dry, helps. On the contrary, this increases the dryness of the eyes, even though we do feel an immediate relief on splashing water.
Water in the eye washes off the tear film which not only lubricates, but also protects, the eyes. The normal time taken for the tear film to regenerate is about four hours, and for that time, the eye remains exposed to both, allergy and infection causing agents.
Splashing of water can cause eye injuries, and also infections, especially since tap water is often full of contaminants. Moreover, the natural tears are sufficient to keep your eyes clean.
In case of any chemical or foreign body in the eye, you may gently wash your eyes with drinking water, before contacting your eye doctor for immediate help. A good idea is to take some drinking water in your cupped hands, and lower your face into the water, gently opening your eye under water.
An eye cup maybe used for this, provided it is cleaned thoroughly. Regular washing of the eyes however, does not help promote eye health.