“I have been blinking too much. Is it normal?”
Lately, I have suddenly started blinking a lot. I am not sure what is causing it. What do you think this could be?
7 Answers
One of the most common causes of this is irritation related to dry eye. Dry eye can be caused by a myriad of conditions, which can be addressed at a comprehensive eye exam.
Hello,
Interesting question! There could be a lot of causes to increased blink rate. You may want to relax and time duration from one blink to the next. 2 to 5 seconds is normal. Stress, anxiety, dry eye, allergies, lack of sleep, dirt, dust, pollen, these things can all increase your blink rate. So can just thinking about it!
All the best!
Dr. John Lowitz, OD
Interesting question! There could be a lot of causes to increased blink rate. You may want to relax and time duration from one blink to the next. 2 to 5 seconds is normal. Stress, anxiety, dry eye, allergies, lack of sleep, dirt, dust, pollen, these things can all increase your blink rate. So can just thinking about it!
All the best!
Dr. John Lowitz, OD
It could be dry eye, fatigue, stress...get a comprehensive eye examination.
Frequent blinking can be associated with dry eye, environmental irritants, seasonal allergies and corneal mischief resulting from UV overexposure on the water or on the snow. All of these can be ruled in or out by your family Optometric Physician OD.
If you are blinking a lot more than normal there could be several reasons including a small foreign body under one of your upper lids, dryness, allergies, keratitis, viral infection, plugged tear duct, eye strain, uncorrected refractive error, incomplete lid closure while blinking...best to get it checked out by a professional.
Erin Lorraine McCleary
Optometrist
This can occur for several reasons. A twitch in the eyelid can come from dehydration, stress, too much caffeine, or lack of sleep. Dryness or allergies can also lead to blinking. I would recommend trying to reverse any of the modifiable factors listed previously (water, stress, caffeine or sleep). Also, you may try using a cool compress or OTC artificial tears a few times a day. If that does not help, you should see your local eye care provider.
Dr. EM
Dr. EM
Dry eyes is the number one cause. Could also be due to allergies. Some people do it out of nervousness or simply a tic.
