What’s wrong with frequent eye blinking?

  The human body normally blinks several times, usually about 15 times per minute in regular people. This is because the action of blinking allows the tear film to be evenly distributed over the surface of the eye so that it can serve to lubricate the eye. If the number of blinks is significantly higher than this frequency, then it is important to consider possible pathological factors. Common diseases include: dry eye, conjunctivitis or irritation caused by impingement.  Dry eye is a condition in which the surface of the eye is dry due to various factors that cause abnormalities in the quality or quantity of the tear film. The most common symptom is frequent blinking. Dry eye patients have a short tear film rupture time, and only through constant blinking can the tear film be continuously spread over the conjunctival and corneal surfaces, allowing the eye surface to maintain a normal moist state and normal physiological function.  Conjunctivitis, especially in pediatric patients, is stimulated by the inflammatory response, resulting in eye discomfort (foreign body sensation, itching, burning just, etc.) and thus reflexively causing frequent blinking symptoms.  It is also caused by the irritation of the ingrown eyelashes. Eyelashes normally extend outward without touching the cornea or conjunctiva. However, if the eyelashes grow inward and often touch the cornea, they will cause a strong sensation of foreign bodies and reflexively increase the number of blinks to relieve the symptoms. If there are only a few ingrown eyelashes, they can be removed to solve the problem, but in severe cases, this requires surgical correction to treat the problem.  As mentioned above, there are many factors that contribute to frequent blinking and there is no single cause, so treatment options should be tailored to each patient. A professional doctor needs to decide on a plan based on each patient’s specific situation, and the patient needs to actively cooperate with the doctor in order to achieve better results.