The Cure Seems To Be Blinking Obvious
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday June 5, 1989
People whose eyes often feel dry or scratchy may need training in something they probably think comes naturally - blinking.
Optometrists have identified the "incomplete blinker" as being at risk of suffering pain or discomfort and more likely to develop eye infections.
And incomplete blinkers who wear contact lenses may find that eyedrops are not enough to keep their lenses moist and clear.
According to Mr Michael Collins, an optometrist at the Queensland University of Technology's Centre for Eye Research, 17 per cent of all blinks are incomplete, with the upper eyelid covering less than two-thirds of the cornea.
The result can be a loss of cells over the cornea because the front surface of the eye is dry.
Working in air-conditioned offices could exacerbate the symptoms of incomplete blinking, Mr Collins said, and the problem was often worse for contact lens wearers because their lenses dried and became cloudy with surface deposits.
Incomplete blinkers would also find that their contact lenses deteriorated more quickly.
"It's not a terribly common problem, but it does have uncomfortable symptoms like soreness or stinging eyes," Mr Collins said.
"We see a lot more of the problem now because so many people with marginal blinking problems work in air-conditioned offices, and while their eyes are moist when they wake up, they are dry and uncomfortable by the end of the day."
Blink training was a simple and successful exercise, he said, which involved showing the patient how to perform a forced, or deliberate, blink. The patient repeated the exercises two or three times a day for about a fortnight.
"It seems to work," Mr Collins said. "We're not entirely sure if it's the psychological effect or the increased tone on the muscles with training, but it does result in fewer incomplete blinks."
© 1989 Sydney Morning Herald
