The Think Blink! campaign

Did you know that blinking can be extremely helpful for your vision?

The simple act of blinking flushes fresh tears over the eye, re-moisturizing & keeping foreign matter and irritants out. It can help ease the soreness, dryness and redness experienced when we concentrate on tasks for long periods of time such as computer and tablet device use.

Dry eye affects approximately 15-40% of the general population living in Australia. Dry eye is rising at an alarming rate due to the explosive use of screen devices which reduce blinking. Excessively staring at screens is exacerbating dry eye & ocular discomfort. World-renowned dry eye expert, Dr. Donald Korb, recommends following the 20/20/20 rule:

Every 20 minutes, close your eyelids shut & then squeeze lightly for a count of 2. Open and then look 20 feet across the room for 20 seconds. This blinking action activates your distance vision & rests your eyes! Take time to look out a window or simply close your eyes.

The Tear Film and Ocular Surface (TFOS) society is a non-profit organisation created to Advance the research, literacy, and educational aspects of the scientific field of the tear film and ocular surface and organize and coordinate international conferences, meetings, workshops, seminars and events for members to promote better understanding of the tear film and ocular surface.

“THINK BLINK” is a global campaign launched by TFOS to help us draw attention to eye health, blinking inhibition and promote the importance of eye-health and the need for more innovative research.

Go to http://tearfilm.org/ to see the great work that the TFOS do, how to become a member (for free!) and view the campaign.

So at work, at school, at Uni and at home, be aware of your eyes and THINK BLINK at least every half hour – good, strong and complete blinks are the key to a healthy tear film !

Think Blink & share the message!