Eyeball licking is the bizarre new fad that is popular in Japan and spreading through the world. (Photo: Chayne Toyama).
There are many different ways to display intimacy: holding hands, cuddling, kissing. But now, let’s add eyeball licking to that category.
Eyeball licking, also known as “worming” or “oculolinctus,” is all the rage amongst teens in Japan. Licking someone’s eyeball is considered similar to going to second base with them.
On one hand, I can understand how it would be viewed as intimate. Think about it: who touches your eye? It’s pretty much just you and your eye doctor, making your eye a very pure part of your body.
Also, it’s possible that it feels good.
“The cornea is the most innervated part of the body,” Dr. Robert Noecker, an ophthalmologist from Connecticut, said in an article posted in the Medical Daily. “That’s why it might feel good to have it licked. … They’re (eyes) so sensitive because the body needs to be able to detect minor particles and other disturbances.”
But this practice is highly dangerous because it can spread the bacteria that resides in the mouth, to the very sensitive eye. Diseases such as pink eye (conjunctivitis), chlamydia, herpes and corneal ulcers can be transmitted through licking, which could result in blindness.
The ridges on the tongue can also cause abrasions to an eye, giving bacteria a place to live long and prosper. Also, let’s say the person who is doing the licking ate something spicy and didn’t wash their mouth thoroughly. Imagine how excruciatingly painful that would be.
To see what the hype was all about, I was actually planning on trying this out with the guy I’m dating. Attempting this feat was pretty funny since we both weren’t sure what we were doing. And I was laughing like crazy the whole time, making it quite difficult to aim.
We were so close that his tongue was touching the tips of my eyelashes.
In the end we chickened out. We figured that the cons outweighed the pros and decided the possibility of going blind over an experiment wasn’t worth it.
And personally, I can’t stand it if anything gets into my eye, whether it be an eyelash or a dust particle. I can’t even wear contacts without my eyes getting irritated.
If you want to hop on this bandwagon, be my guest. Just be aware of the dangers this practice has.