Blinking Exercises
Partial blinking is very common in people with dry eyes. If you have been diagnosed as a partial blinker and have been given this handout, your optometrist feels blinking exercises are critical for your eyes ocular health.
Blinking Sequence: 20/20
Every 20 minutes/20 x day
CLOSE- PAUSE-PAUSE-OPEN-RELAX
CLOSE-PAUSE-PAUSE-SQUEEZE-OPEN-RELAX
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Blink exercises require frequency. They must be done every 20 minutes for 4-6 weeks to be effective. Use an audible signal such as an egg timer, cell phone alert or computer to remind you, especially during tasks requiring sustained focus. (IPhone App: Mindfulness Bell)
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Close both eyes normally, pause 2 seconds and open. Then, close the eyes normally again, pause 2 seconds and then aggressively squeeze the lids together (as if you are trying to crack a walnut with your lids) for two seconds. Open both eyes. Repeat every 20 minutes.
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Hold your index fingers at the corners of your eyes and blink. When you are blinking correctly, you should feel your index finger pull in.
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Blinking is very task-dependent and the blink rate decreases with sustained visual activity. For example, if you spend a lot of time on the computer, reading, or other close up work, you are probably blinking much less frequently and might want to post a copy of the blinking exercises nearby as a reminder.
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Lastly, if you are having difficulty incorporating the blinking exercises into your schedule (i.e. 4 x an hour), chose an activity you do routinely i.e. checking email, text messages. Doing the blink exercises every time you perform this activity will help to make complete blinking a habit. It is critical for the health of your eyes.
