Eye blinking is a natural and necessary part of human physiology. It keeps our eyes clean, removes dirt and contaminants, and ensures it does not become too dry. Newborns blink two times in a minute, and this increases with age. As the age progresses, the number of times one blinks becomes constant to approximately fifteen times a minute.
Anything more than this can be considered as excessive eye blinking. This is more common in children; however, present in adults as well. Although it doesn’t mean much if this happens once in a while, if the problem is more frequent, you need to get diagnosed by a reputed eye-care professional. In this guide, we will discuss the underlying causes of excessive eye blinking, diagnosis, treatments, and more.
The average blink rate in adults is between fourteen and seventeen blinks per minute. Temporary changes in blinking rate can occur due to various reasons like looking at a screen, emotional distress, atmospheric temperature, and so on. However, if a person is frequently blinking at a significantly higher rate, this can be noted as excessive blinking.
Excessive blinking can be a symptom of undiagnosed health and vision conditions. These conditions can be due to simple causes like dry eyes and allergies or they can be caused by more severe issues such as neurological disorders. Excessive blinking becomes a problem when it starts to interfere with your daily life. It can be distractive and prevent patients from focusing on their day-to-day tasks.
Excessive eye blinking can often be involuntary, and such is the case when there is an irritant on the surface of the eye. Some of the common irritants include smoke, pollen, dust, small foreign objects, chemical vapours, and eyelashes. Eye irritation can also be caused by inflamed iris (iritis) and eyelids (blepharitis). Scratch and minute injuries on the outside of your eye and pinkeye (conjunctivitis) are rare but viable reasons for excessive blinking.
Eyestrains happen when you are focusing on something for too long. This is a common cause of excessive eye blinking in office workers who spend their entire day sitting in front of a computer. Eyestrains can also happen from reading for a long time without taking a break or looking at the sun or other bright sources for too long.
Vision problems like dry eye syndrome, nearsightedness, and farsightedness can be one of the possible causes of excessive eye blinking. Undiagnosed vision problems can manifest themselves in the form of excessive eye blinking. If you suspect any such issues, visit our hospital for comprehensive myopia, hyperopia, and dry eye treatment in Mumbai.
Movement disorder (eye dystonia) can be an underlying cause of rapid eye blinking. Generally, two types of eye dystonia are benign essential blepharospasm and Meige syndrome. Benign essential blepharospasm causes spasms in the eye leading to involuntary eyelid twitching and excessive blinking. Meige syndrome is a blepharospasm that causes spasms in the mouth and jaw muscles which also leads to excessive blinking.
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder that causes the patient to bust out into rapid and sudden movements. These repeated uncontrolled movements often include head jerking, shoulder shrugging, and, of course, constant blinking eyes. The severity and frequency of these tics can vary from patient to patient.
Some people may involuntarily begin excessive eye blinking due to astigmatism, far or nearsightedness, or rubbing the eyes excessively. Once these conditions are treated, some patients may not get out of their habit of excessive blinking. Some patients may restart excessive blinking without any reason other than force of habit.
In some instances, excessive blinking can be caused by neurological disorders. Excessive blinking can be associated with the brain’s lack of control over muscle movements. Experts believe that it’s caused by a malfunction of certain cells in the nervous system.
If you are continuously under a lot of stress, you may become more sensitive to light and eye strain. This leads to frequent rapid blinking, which over time converts into habitual excessive blinking. Mental health conditions like anxiety, stress, and fatigue can multiply the chances of this.
Health issues like allergies and dry eye can also cause excessive eye blinking. This is not a serious problem for most patients. However, if it starts to affect your ability to focus on your work, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
A comprehensive physical eye exam can help you diagnose a number of eye and vision problems. It tests overall eye health, eye movement, blinking pattern, and vision. Doctors may also check your eyelids, undereye, cornea, and iris for signs of inflammation and infections.
If you go to the doctor concerned about constant blinking of both eyes, they might suggest a manual blinking observation test. The doctor observes the patient’s blinking patterns and eye movements to identify any irregularities. The doctor notes down average blinks per minute, spasms, and twitching and tailors the treatment accordingly.
As the name suggests, this test is used to measure the sensitivity of the cornea. The doctors move a cotton ball over the cornea and note the reaction. This is used to diagnose dry eye syndrome.
The tear production exam measures the quantity and quality of tears one can produce. This test diagnoses issues like dry eye and other tear-related problems. Basal and reflex tear secretion are tested without anaesthesia through Schirmer’s test.
If the doctor suspects neurological disorders as a possible cause of excessive eye blinking, he may suggest neurological tests. A neurologist will conduct several tests to determine the proper functioning of nerves in the eyes, face, and other related areas.
EMG is a modern technique used to detect and record electrical activity in the muscles controlling eye movement and blinking. This test is often suggested for patients suspected of blepharospasm.
Behavioural therapy is a highly effective treatment for habitual patients with excessive eye blinking. This treatment makes the patient aware of what they are doing and uses habit-reversal techniques.
For patients with involuntary eye twitching and Tourette syndrome, muscle relaxants or anticholinergic drugs can help with the issue. Antihistamines are prescribed for allergic reactions.
Botox injections help to reduce involuntary twitching and blinking by relaxing muscles. It is often used to treat overactive muscles around the eyes.
If stress is behind your uncontrolled excessive blinking, stress management therapy can help manage your triggers. These therapies include anxiety and fatigue management as well.
Surgery is often reserved as the last option if nothing else works. Surgeons will remove certain muscles, tissues, or nerves responsible for excessive blinking. If you are considering surgery, get in touch with our reputed eye surgeon in Mumbai.
Excessive blinking is often nothing to worry about and can be caused by things like allergens, scratches to the cornea, or looking at a screen for too long. However, if this is a frequent occurrence and is hindering your ability to focus or see clearly, you need to get diagnosed and treated at the earliest.
Arohi Eye Hospital is a reputed eye-care provider in Mumbai. If you are experiencing excessive eye blinking, get in touch with us today!
Dr. Shradha Goel, Chief Surgeon at Arohi Eye Hospital, is a renowned Phaco-LASIK surgeon with over 10,000 surgeries to her credit. She earned her MBBS from Grant Medical College, Mumbai, and a Master’s in Ophthalmology from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. As a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Goel specialises in LASIK, refractive errors, and cataract treatments.
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