WHY DO PEOPLE BLINK EYES?

We blink our eyes to keep them moist. The eye balls needs to stay moist, if the eyeball dries out it becomes itchy and irritating. Blinking keeps the eye moist and clean from debris.

Blinking your eyes lubricates your eyes, keeps out irritants from the surface of the eye. It is popularly mentioned ,” Take care of your eyes, you will never get a pair again”

Human eyes are windows to view the surroundings and God’s creation. Eyes are naturally protected with the eyelashes. Eyelashes are hairs attached to the upper and lower eyelids that create a line of defense against dust and other elements to the eye. The eyelashes catch most of these irritants before they reach the eyeball.

Blinking provides moisture to the eye by irrigation using tears and a lubricant the eyes secrete. The eyelid provides suction across the eye from the tear duct to the entire eyeball to keep it from drying out.

Why do we blink?

A blink is an involuntary reaction our bodies do on a regular basis. Blinking only lasts about a tenth of a second. In that tenth of a second we blink to re-lubricate our eyeballs

Blinking is the rapid closing and opening of the eyelid. You may have observed that if any dust or foreign particle gets into our eye you’ll start blinking. You will blink when you see bright lights, the eye is programmed to minimize damage caused by glaring light. It may sound funny, you also blink more and tears start rolling down when you peel or cut onions. This is observed in areas where smoke is generated, mobs when tear gas is spread to disperse people.

Blink rates vary quite a bit depending on emotional and mental state of mind. Stress and anxiety tend to increase a person’s blink rate. Face is a mirror of our emotions and your presence of mind is sometimes reflected in your eyes too. Intense concentration tends to reduce the blink rate, and if you’re in a situation that implies some danger, your blinking rate can go way down – basically helping to be alert , to look around quickly without missing things.

How many times do we blink in a minute?

On average a person blinks 15-20 times in a minute. People who are reading or deeply concentrating will blink less per minute and those who are nervous or lying often blink more times per minute. Most adults blink once every 5 seconds (12 blinks a minute).

There is a relationship between the numbers of times one blinks and ones emotions, if one is tired that person tends to blink more frequently than one who is well rested.

Do women blink their eyes more often than men?
This is actually a common myth. Men and women usually blink at identical rates. However, one study showed that women on birth control pills blinked 32% more.

Do infants and adults blink their eyes at the same rate?
Infants do not blink their eyes at the same rate of an adult. Infants blink one or two times in a minute. Infants also get a significant amount more sleep than adults do and, as discussed earlier, fatigued eyes blink more. However, throughout childhood the blink rate increases, and by adolescence, it is usually equivalent to adults.

Eye blinking can be a sign of good health

Eye blinking can be a definite criteria for diagnosing medical conditions. For example, excessive blinking may help to indicate the onset of Tourette syndrome, strokes, disorders of the nervous system. A low rate of blinking is associated with Parkinsons’s disease. Parkinson’s patients have a distinct stare that is very recognizable

When the muscles of the eye are tense due to straining to see or due to mental tension, a person’s vision is likely to become impaired. A simple practice to relax the eye is to blink more often, especially when reading, working on the computer, or watching TV. Staring at a book or screen dries the eyes and causes eye strain. Blinking relaxes the eyes and helps to keep them moist reducing the strain on the internal eye muscles. The Ayurvedic sadhana of clear vision is more than taking care of the eye. The eye is one part of a greater whole. The health of the eyes is dependent on a proper diet and healthy digestion as well as a calm, clear and relaxed mind.