Please Note: We are closed from 1:00pm – 2:00pm every day for lunch.

alarm-ringing ambulance angle2 archive arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up at-sign baby baby2 bag binoculars book-open book2 bookmark2 bubble calendar-check calendar-empty camera2 cart chart-growth check chevron-down chevron-left chevron-right chevron-up circle-minus circle city clapboard-play clipboard-empty clipboard-text clock clock2 cloud-download cloud-windy cloud clubs cog cross crown cube youtube diamond4 diamonds drop-crossed drop2 earth ellipsis envelope-open envelope exclamation eye-dropper eye facebook file-empty fire flag2 flare foursquare gift glasses google graph hammer-wrench heart-pulse heart home instagram joystick lamp layers lifebuoy link linkedin list lock magic-wand map-marker map medal-empty menu microscope minus moon mustache-glasses paper-plane paperclip papers pen pencil pie-chart pinterest plus-circle plus power printer pushpin question rain reading receipt recycle reminder sad shield-check smartphone smile soccer spades speed-medium spotlights star-empty star-half star store sun-glasses sun tag telephone thumbs-down thumbs-up tree tumblr twitter tiktok wechat user users wheelchair write yelp youtube

Blinking: An Important Part of Eye Health

Why do we need to blink so often?

If you take a moment to tally your blinks over a minute without altering your natural rhythm, you’ll likely find that an adult blinks between ten to twenty times each minute, with each blink lasting only about a tenth of a second.

Blinking: A Natural Eye Refreshment and Cleansing Process

With every blink, our eyelids perform the crucial task of distributing a fresh layer of tears across our eyes. This action prevents our eyes from becoming dry and helps to clear away small irritants like dust and dirt particles that could disrupt our vision. Should there be an excess of moisture, the surplus tears are expelled through the tear ducts at the eye corners, eventually reaching our nasal passages. This explains the runny nose phenomenon when we cry.

The Impact of Concentration on Blinking

Engrossing activities like reading, playing games, working on projects, or watching TV can significantly reduce our blink rate, sometimes to as few as three times a minute. This rate falls short of what our eyes ideally need to stay well-lubricated and healthy. Consistently blinking too infrequently can lead to problems such as eye strain or dry eye syndrome.

Understanding Dry Eye Syndrome and Its Symptoms

Dry eye syndrome is a common condition that occurs when your eyes don’t produce enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly. This imbalance can lead to inflammation and damage to the surface of the eye. Symptoms of dry eye can vary widely but typically include a stinging or burning sensation in the eyes, scratchiness, and a feeling as if something is in your eye.

People with dry eye might also experience excessive tearing as a response to the discomfort, blurred vision, especially after long periods of use, and discomfort when wearing contact lenses. In more severe cases, dry eye can contribute to light sensitivity, eye fatigue, and difficulty performing tasks that require visual focus for extended periods. Understanding the signs of dry eye is crucial for seeking timely treatment and preventing potential long-term damage to the eyes.

Encouraging More Frequent Blinking

If you notice that a lack of blinking is contributing to eye discomfort, especially during intense focus periods, it’s beneficial to consciously increase your blink rate. Training your eyes to blink more often is possible with practice. A good starting point is to blink intentionally during moments of thought or while engaged in tasks that don’t require visual focus. Consider setting hourly reminders for blinking exercises to cultivate this habit. Over time, these reminders may become unnecessary. A straightforward exercise to rejuvenate your eyes is to close them, take a short pause, gently squeeze your eyelids, and then reopen your eyes.

The Complexity of Blinking

Though blinking might appear simple, it’s a complex coordination of various elements, including different tear types, oil-producing glands that maintain the tear film, and the muscles that facilitate the act of blinking. This complexity means there are multiple points where complications can arise. If you’re dealing with dry eye or eye strain despite your efforts with blinking exercises, it’s wise to reach out for a professional consultation.

Remember, seeing our patients thrive is our greatest joy!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.