Why Do We Blink Our Eyes?

Why do we blink our eyes? Blinking keeps our eyes clean and healthy. Our eyes are constantly being washed by the salty fluid known as tears. Tears come from glands that are located behind the upper eyelid of each eye.

Every time we blink, our eyelids wipe tears over the eyes. This helps keep our eyes from drying out. Tears usually wash away anything that gets into the eyes, and then drain into the nose through tiny openings.

Usually, this isn’t notice able. When we cry, however, all that extra water makes our noses run. Blinking also keeps eyes safe from potentially damaging stimuli, such as bright lights and foreign bodies like dust.

How long does a blink last? A blink is defined as ‘a temporary closure of both eyes, involving movements of the upper and lower eyelids’. Human adults blink approximately 12 times per minute and one blink lasts about 1/3 s.

Who blinks more male or female? A study done by the Functional Anatomy Research Center or FARC using optoelectronic motion analyzers, found, after studying 44 men and women, that women do blink significantly more than men. The study states that women blink 19 times per minute versus 11 times per minute for men.

Content for this question contributed by JP Widmer, resident of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA