Turns out you need to BLINK more every day – the experts say so | The Sun

BLINKING is something we do without thinking – unless you're having a staring contest of course.

But what you might not realise is that batting our lashes regularly is vital for eye health, and can even help slow down eye ageing.

In fact, risk of ocular disease – be it glaucoma, macular degeneration or cataracts – increases as we grow older.

Keeping our peepers in great shape, protected and fully hydrated requires blinking, but you may not be doing it enough.

Dr Shane Kannar from All About Vision, recommends doing this blinking exercise to avoid dry eyes, eye strain and even blurred vision: “Close both eyes normally, pause for a couple of seconds and then open. 

“Close your eyes normally again, pause for two seconds and then squeeze your eyelids together for two seconds and open your eyes.”

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Then repeat a few times a day.

Shane also recommends taking frequent screen breaks for the same reasons.

He suggests following the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It should give your eyes a welcome rest.

Vitally, Shane says, you should “wear polarised sunglasses,” and get kids wearing them young.

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“Many of the damaging effects from UV show up later in life but are due to exposure as a child.”

You also want to keep your lutein levels topped up – it’s one of two crucial carotenoids found in the eye.

Kiwis are a great source, and if you’re brave and eat the skin, you’ll get a bonus dose of vitamin c which supports collagen in the eye.

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