Blinking helps preserve visual acuity – research

Blinking, in addition to cleaning and moisturizing the eye, is also a means of maintaining concentration and sharpness of vision.

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Blinking the eyes not only moisturizes the eyes, additionally cleans their surface from dust and other impurities, but also helps maintain clarity of vision, because it is a stage of the information processing process.

Researchers of the brain and cognitive functions from the University of Rochester (USA) drew attention to the fact that the average frequency of blinking in people is greater than the need to moisten the eye, writes MedicalXpress

To your own researchduring which the body’s reactions to reflex and intentional blinking were monitored, they involved 12 people.

Scientists observed the activity of the visual cortex – the part of the brain responsible for processing visual information. They found that closing the eyes causes a decrease in brain activity, but opening them leads to a sharp jump in the activity of the organ.

It is interesting that immediately after blinking, the activity becomes higher than it was before closing the eyelids.

After studying the change in the characteristics of the eye during this process, scientists found that each blink increases the power of visual signals. This process involves a change in the intensity of light that hits the retina.

Despite the momentary loss of a source of information when the eyelids are closed, blinking helps maintain visual acuity by helping the brain process the constant stream of visual information.

Previous studies have shown that blinking the eyes, in addition to cleaning and moisturizing the eye, is also a means of maintaining concentration on the subject. Thanks to this process, the flow of information is divided into smaller fragments that are easier to perceive and process.

Before that, scientists also recorded a slowdown in nerve activity when the eyes were closed. It has been suggested that this acts as an overstimulation safeguard.

We used to toldhow long-term use of glasses affects vision.