Blinking is an involuntary movement of the eye but can also be a controlled action. It only takes about a tenth of a second, and normally, a person blinks every four seconds or 15 times per minute. When the rate of blinking increases or decreases, it may signify a medical condition, or it may lead to some certain illnesses. People should know the importance of why we all blink. In this manner, we will be able to try to maintain our regular blinking rate as much as we can to safeguard our eye’s health and overall well-being.
Benefits of Blinking
When we blink, the surface of the eyes is cleared of any obstruction helping us to see clearly. Any debris can be washed away by tears, which can be brought about by blinking. Blinking also provides oxygen to the eyes. All these help in achieving clarity of vision and overall eye health.
Blinking is also the first defense of the eyes against pollutants and infection. When some foreign elements enter the eyes, it is a natural reaction of the eyes to blink faster than usual to trigger the production of tears, which will flush the debris or the cause of infection.
Causes of Decreased Blink Rate
Concentrating on something else is the top reason why blinking is decreased. When you love reading books for hours, you probably will experience dryness and discomfort in your eyes afterward. This is because focusing on what you are reading will decrease the rate of your blinking. Blinking oxygenates your eyes, and through the tear films, avoids dying up your eyes.
It is also evident that blink rates are decreased when working on digital jobs or playing games on a computer. This is because we focused so much on what we are working on. To be able to help our eyes in these situations, we should make it a point to constantly blink after 10 seconds.
Effects of Decreased Blink Rate
The usual effects of decreased blink rate are dryness and discomfort in the eye, which bookworms and computer geeks are prone to have. But when these conditions go unattended or their activities are not minimized, they are also susceptible to eye infections such as sore eyes. And worst, your visual acuity can also be impaired. Computers geeks can also develop a certain disorder called Computer Vision Syndrome, which is caused by a decreased blink rate while using a computer. This is characterized by ocular discomfort.