Blinking is a normal reflex that protects the eye from dryness, bright light or other objects coming towards it. Blinking also regulates tears, which nourish and cleanse the surface of the eye protecting it from foreign bodies and infections.
Blinking is an important part of maintaining the health of the oil glands residing in your eyelids.
On average, the blink rate is between 10 and 20 times per minute, and each blink lasts just a tenth of a second. For screen Users, blink rate has been noticed to reduce by one third because of the tendency to stare or focus at the screens.This has led to more complaints of Dry Eyes among users of digital devices.
We Blink to Keep Our Eyes Clean and Fresh
With every blink, our eyelids spread fresh layers of tears across the surface of our eyes. It keeps them from drying out and brushes away tiny irritants like dust and dirt that might interfere with our vision. When we have excess tears, they drain out through the tear ducts (those tiny little holes at the corners of our eyes) into our nasal passages. That’s actually why our noses tend to run when we cry.
Focusing Hard? You Might Be Blinking Less.
Have you ever noticed that when you’re concentrating hard on something like a book, show, game, or project, you’re not blinking as much as usual?
While focusing, we tend to blink as few as three times per minute — much less frequently than the healthy rate our eyes rely on to operate most effectively. The longer we go without blinking often, the more it can compound into problems like dry eye and eye strain which can lead to blurry vision
Train Yourself to Blink More
Blinking should happen unconsciously throughout the day. However, when you have dry eyes or use the computer for extended periods of time, you need to consciously blink.
You can do this through blinking exercises. Set a timer on your phone or your computer, to remind you to blink. When the alarm goes off, spend 20 to 30 seconds consciously blinking. The blinking exercises go like this:
- CLOSE-PAUSE-PAUSE-OPEN-RELAX
Step 1: Close your eyes gently, without squeezing.
Step 2: Pause and keep your eyes closed for a count of 2.
Step 3: Gently open your eyes and relax them.
Step 4: Repeat 5 times
- CLOSE-PAUSE-PAUSE-SQUEEZE-OPEN-RELAX
Step 1: Close your eyes gently, without squeezing.
Step 2: Pause and keep your eyes closed for a count of 2.
Step 3: Keep your eyes closed and squeeze your eyelids together slowly and gently.
Step 4: Gently open your eyes and relax them.
Step 5: Repeat 5 times.
Helpful Hint:
If you are having difficulty incorporating the blinking exercises into your schedule, choose an activity you do routinely such as answering phones or looking at email or text messages. Doing the blink exercises every time you perform this activity will help to make complete blinking a habit.
What if you don’t blink enough?
If you don’t blink enough, your eyes will eventually dry out. In the beginning, it may only cause mild irritation. You will feel some stinging or peppery sensation or burning. With prolonged use of digital devices over the years, your blinking may decrease, and your eyes may get used to the dryer state.
Your eyes can become red and then watery. And eventually, the oil glands in your eyelids will begin to degenerate. When there isn’t enough oil in your tears, the front surface of your eye will dry out. Your vision will become blurred, and your eyes may become more and more red and irritated.
What’s The Fix?
The blinking exercises, of course and a conscious habit of blinking!.