Some amazing facts about eye blinking: Your eyes will thank you

Blinking is a reflex and we all do it without even realizing it. But did you know that blinking is essential to our eye health? In this blog, we will explore the importance of eye blinking and how sometimes we blink more often than required.

What is the reason for eye blinking?

Blinking is a natural reflex that helps to lubricate and protect our eyes. Every time we blink, our eyelids spread a layer of tear film over the surface of our eyes. This tear film contains vital nutrients and antibodies that keep our eyes healthy and moist.

Benefits of Blinking

1. Keeps eyes moist
2. Flushes out foreign particles
3. Protects the eyes
4. Reduces eye strain and fatigue

How often do we need to blink?

The number of times you blink changes with age. Newborns only blink about two times a minute. That number goes up as they grow. Teens blink around 15 times a minute. It’s about the same in adults.

However, sometimes some may blink very frequently much more than normal

Causes of Excessive Eye Blinking

Lots of things can lead to excessive blinking. In order of how common these causes are:

• Dry eye
• A scratch on your eye – a corneal abrasion or epithelial defect
• Dust or something else in your eye
• Allergies
• Eye infection or Pinkeye
• An ingrown eyelash – Trichiasis
• Facial tic or habit
• Eyelids that didn’t form the right way
• Untreated vision problems
• Uneven or crossed eyes (Exotropia)
• Neurological or psychological problems
• Anxiety
• Blepharospasm

More serious conditions are

• Wilson’s disease is a rare genetic condition caused by too much copper in your body
• Multiple Sclerosis, a disease of the brain and spinal cord
• Tourette’s syndrome is a condition that causes you to make uncontrollable movements or sounds

Excessive Eye Blinking Diagnosis

If the blinking is frequent then one must visit an eye doctor first. Your eye doctor will examine your vision and eyes in detail. If your ophthalmologist feels that your eyes are fine and the frequent blinking may be because of some other systemic condition then you may be referred to other doctors like

1. Neuro physician
2. Psychologist
3. General Physician

Excessive Eye Blinking Treatment

Your eye doctor may do one of the following,

1. Prescribe eyeglasses
2. Prescribe eye drops
3. Prescribe eye ointments
4. Patch the eye
5. Place a contact lens in the eye
6. Administer Botox injections
7. Suggest eye exercises

Conclusion

Eye blinking is a crucial part of our vision health. It helps to lubricate and protect our eyes, prevent eye strain and fatigue, and reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome. By being aware of how often we blink we can reduce the commonest issue with reduced blinking which is dry eyes. It is important to keep in mind that increased blinking may not be normal and one should not ignore this.