The reasons why we need to blink
Why do our eyes blink? Our eyes need to blink in order to stay healthy. The first is that when we blink, particles in our eyes are cleared out, which aids in the removal of foreign objects. For instance, it purges the air of tiny particles, dead cells, and dried tears. Secondly, blinking is necessary to lubricate your eyes. To prevent vision blur and maintain the appropriate focus of the light, we must maintain a smooth surface of the eye. To maintain a smooth surface, the eye must be sealed. When we blink, the majority of its contents—water, mucus, and oils—are discharged. In addition to smoothing the surface of the eye, the tear film keeps the eyes from drying out (Julie, 2021). Furthermore, each of these roles aids in keeping viruses out of our eyes. Additionally, blinking allows our brains to rest, which enables us to refocus on our current task following blinking (Erica Hersh and Ann Marie Griff, O.D., 2020).
How many times do we blink our eyes in a day?
How many times a day do humans blink? We blink our eyelids as though we were breathing subconsciously throughout the day, without keeping track of how many breaths we take. So, how many times a day do we blink? We may estimate the number of blinks each day by knowing the number of blinks per minute, which is equal to 24 hours, or 1,440 minutes per day in minutes. Adults and adolescents blink 15 times a minute on average, which means that we blink 21,600 times a day on average. Although people may not blink at the same rate, women and men blink nearly equally, whereas newborns and children blink less frequently than adults. People are more likely to blink around 151,200 times a week, 657,439 times a month, 7.8 million times a year, 78.8 million times a decade, and more than 621.5 million times in their lifetime if their frequency of blinking is comparable to that of adults and adolescents (Johnson, 2022).
What happens if we don’t blink?
If we don’t blink enough normally, our eyes can get dry because we don’t even have enough tears coming out. We call the problem of dry eyes a so-called dry eye syndrome. Dry eye syndrome can be seen as a symptom of unstable tear film and not smoothing the surface of the eye. Here are some of the eye symptoms that can be caused by dry eyes, per Bullock (2018):
- light sensitivity (light phobia)
- blurry view
- foreign body feeling from your eyes
- eye fatigue and pain
Things that affect the frequency of blinking of the eyes
From age to behaviors such as screen use, there are a number of factors that can affect the frequency of blinking. Here are some of the reasons that affect the frequency of blinking:.
The connection between age and flickering frequency
The frequency of blinking varies by age group. Babies blink about twice a minute, but the frequency of blinking increases gradually throughout their childhood. Adolescents blink about 15 times per minute, and there is little difference in frequency in this age group.
The link between drowsiness and flickering frequency
Johnson (2022) said that most people tend to blink more when they feel tired. Based on studies, when people don’t get enough sleep or have irregular sleep patterns, they blink between 20 and 30 times each minute. Thus, when they are fatigued, they could blink twice as frequently. There is a correlation between the frequency of flickering and screen usage. Depending on whether we are looking at the digital screen or not, our blinking frequency changes. Research has indicated that when we stare at digital screens, our blinking frequency decreases. For instance, when using a smartphone or gazing at a laptop or other digital screen, the frequency of blinking drops to around 300 times per hour from 900 times when not staring at a screen.
How to exercise your eyes
Eye exercises not only reduce eye strain but also enhance focus, strengthen eye muscles, facilitate eye workouts, and activate the visual center of the brain. One-by-one practice will teach you how to regulate your eye muscles and reduce strain on your eyes when you progress to new exercises. A variety of factors, including your age and eye condition, might influence an eye exercise program. According to WebMD Editorial Contributors (2022), you can attempt these exercises:
- Rule 20-20-20: Every 20 minutes when you’re looking at the screen, focus on the outside view from 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Blinking Recognition: Most people blink less when they look at digital screens than when they do not. If your eyes become dry, sick, or have a headache from this behavior, try blinking at a normal speed and frequency without looking at the digital screen for a moment.
- Roll your eyes: With your head in place, look alternately right and left, then look alternately up and down.
Conclusion
Using your willpower, you may be able to survive a week without even a single blink. However, it will be very difficult to reach your goal. My eyes hurt because I didn’t blink, and my eyes were swollen. Worse, you may lose your eyesight forever in the future. It is terrible that this bad incident occurred as a result of this foolish decision to not blink. You will not be pleased when, after giving up tens of thousands of opportunities to blink, you do so at last. Days will pass as dirt scratches the cornea in your eyes. These factors make the pointless task of a week without blinking undesirable. The only organs that protrude from our body are our eyes, which are also among the most vital. Your curiosity alone cannot afford the harm, danger, and agony that these eyes endure by not blinking for a week. Be informed that blinking should not be ignored (Khanshahana, 2023).
References
Hersh, E., 2020. How Many Times Do You Blink a Day — and Why? [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-many-times-do-you-blink-a-day#blinking-frequency [Accessed 27 January 2024].
Johnson, A., 2022. How Many Times Do We Blink in a Day? [online] All About Vision. Available at: https://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-care/eye-anatomy/how-many-times-we-blink-per-day/ [Accessed 27 January 2024].
Santora, T., 2021. Why do we blink? [online] livescience.com. Available at: https://www.livescience.com/why-do-we-blink.html [Accessed 26 January 2024].
Khansha, H ., 2023. What Happens When You Don’t Blink Your Eyes for a Week? [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@khanshahana043/what-happens-when-you-dont-blink-your-eyes-for-a-week-1eb2d80ce420 [Accessed 27 January 2024].
WebMD Editorial Contributors (2022). Exercises for Your Eyes. [online] WebMD. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/eye-exercises [Accessed 27 January 2024].
