# They say you should not chop jalapenos and then rub your eyes... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 16, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402 "2005-11-16T22:48:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/1 "2005-11-16T22:48:14Z")
And this is one thing that “THEY” are terribly correct about. Holy shit. Nothing like 15 minutes of pain and blindness to convince you that paying attention to what you’re doing is important. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/2 "2005-11-16T22:49:08Z")
You poor, poor man. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/3 "2005-11-16T22:50:30Z")
_:: Points and Laughs::_ Ha ha ha ha ha!!! Mind you, when I was a teen, I did this once, myself. Trust me, you’ll only do it once. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/4 "2005-11-16T22:51:16Z")
yeah, that’s bad, but once I was making Jamaican rice and peas… which requires a scotch bonnet… which I somehow forgot was on my hands as I rubbed my eyes… holy fucking shit, that hurt. Now I wear disposable latex gloves when handling scotch bonnets, habs, or Thai chile peppers. Smartest thing I’ve done for ages. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/5 "2005-11-16T22:53:26Z")
Not that I’d know personally, but I’ve been told masturbation after chopping peppers isn’t so much of a good idea either. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/6 "2005-11-16T23:08:44Z")
Heh, I have heard the same thing…or rather, any activity “down there” is inadvisable. A friendof mine, back when we were teens, put hot peppers on his pizza at the pizza place. Later that evening, he used the bathroom. He came out, promptly excused himself, drove home like a madman, and took a shower. So yes, it could be worse. It was only my eyes, after all, not my IMPORTANT :eek: ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/7 "2005-11-16T23:10:03Z")
my IMPORTANT _parts_, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/8 "2005-11-16T23:11:39Z")
I had some friends who had a jalapeno eating contest. First guy to take a sip of beer lost $50. _They ate the peppers until they both had nose bleeds._ I swear…sometimes it just boggles the mind… ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/9 "2005-11-16T23:14:00Z")
I once mentioned to my sister that I had discovered the importance of putting in my contact lenses before chopping up the green chili for breakfast. Her response: “You eat chili for breakfast?” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/10 "2005-11-17T00:04:57Z")
My horticulture teacher in high school told us about the time he was chopping up some habeneros, then forgot to wash his hands before he took his contacts out. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/11 "2005-11-17T00:19:52Z")
Count me as another who put contacts in after chopping peppers. I had to throw away a perfectly good pair of brand new contacts. I tried cleaning them and wearing them the next day but it was only slightly better. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/12 "2005-11-17T00:29:55Z")
Watch where you put you hands if you ever use Icy Hot. I had a strained muscle in my arm and the Ice Hot worked great on the arm. Going to the bathroom later demonstrated that not all of it washes off right away. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/13 "2005-11-17T00:33:46Z")
> [@Queen Tonya](#): > > Not that I’d know personally, but I’ve been told masturbation after chopping peppers isn’t so much of a good idea either. TRUST ME, IT ISN’T. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/14 "2005-11-17T00:57:37Z")
Another good one to follow is don’t drive on the railroad tracks. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/15 "2005-11-17T01:02:11Z")
Mrs. Mercotan would also be wanting to advise you not to stuff hot peppers in your nostril either. Yes, she really did that once. She was eating a szechuan beef dish, where the beef strips were about the size of the hot peppers. She grasped what she thought was a beef strip, stuck it in her mouth, and discovered its heat. So she spit it into her napkin. But then, her nose began to run quite copiously. So she used her napkin to wipe her nose, and managed to insert the pepper into her nostril. It was to laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/16 "2005-11-17T01:21:14Z")
I had two friends, bachelors, sharing an apartment, who grew jalapenos on their window sill. One day, while my friend John was talking to them on the phone, he heard in the background 'MY EYES! I’VE GONE BLIND!" Much mirth ensued as one bachelor helped the other with his jalapeno predicament. Mirth continued as about 5 minutes after that episode, the other one, still talking on the phone, screamed “MY EYES! I’VE GONE BLIND!” ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/17 "2005-11-17T03:30:06Z")
Jalapeño oil in the eyeball can be a bit unpleasant. Let me tell you, though, getting a dash of Blair’s Mega Death sauce (made from the seedpods of habañero peppers) in your eyes just rearranges your whole perspective on that kind of thing. You see, some spilled out onto the outside of the cap when I was putting the cap on. Next day as I’m taking the cap _off_, I get the semi-dried paste from the cap rubbed off onto my fingers. I didn’t notice. I noticed a short time later though, oh yes indeed I did. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/18 "2005-11-17T03:51:43Z")
I was making Red Thai Pepper sauce or some permutation of those words. I sniffed it in the food processor bowl and burned my upper lip. It was some good stuff. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/19 "2005-11-17T04:25:44Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Mrs. Mercotan would also be wanting to advise you not to stuff hot peppers in your nostril either. > > Yes, she really did that once. > > She was eating a szechuan beef dish, where the beef strips were about the size of the hot peppers. She grasped what she thought was a beef strip, stuck it in her mouth, and discovered its heat. So she spit it into her napkin. > > But then, her nose began to run quite copiously. So she used her napkin to wipe her nose, and managed to insert the pepper into her nostril. > > It was to laugh. How the Hell would you treat that? Blow milk through your nose for an hour? Good thing it didn’t lodge in her sinus cavity. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402/20 "2005-11-17T04:31:57Z")
I once saw a guy get some of [this hot sauce](http://www.ec-securehost.com/FrenchMarketSeafoodCo./Gold_Cap.html) on his hands and then rub his eyes. It was not pretty. I tried to warn him, but I had just put a drop of the stuff on my tongue and it would be another 45 minutes or so before I was able to speak again. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-you-should-not-chop-jalapenos-and-then-rub-your-eyes/331402.md?page=2)