Do Blind People Blink And How Often Compared To People That Can See?

In our day-to-day life, we forget how the little things we have matter. We tend to focus on the things we do not have, but what about the things we do have? Do we cherish them how we are supposed to? 

Probably not. 

One of the most cherished things most of us have is our sight. Note how I said most of us because some people do not have the essential ability to see. How must that be, right? 

We have a related article for you, you can read Do Blind People Sleep With Their Eyes Open?

While we know we cannot do much for them, we surely can spread a little awareness and information about them, can we not?

Therefore today, we will talk about if blind people blink, and if they do, then how often. But before jumping into that, let’s get to know some basics first, shall we?

Different Types Of Blindness:

A lot of people define blindness in really simple terms, not being able to see. But in reality, it’s much more complicated than that.

When it comes to blindness, there are different types and different levels of blindness. Some people have a total and complete vision loss, others can see to a certain extent and some only shiny things like a twinkle here and there. 

For some, blindness is a neurological defect, and for others, it can stem from an issue in their eye. In general, types of blindness can be differentiated into four different categories. 

1. Cerebral Visual Impairment 

Cerebral visual impairment, CVI in short, is the most common cause of vision loss today. It is a disorder that stems from your brain, meaning even if a person has healthy eyes, their brain cannot perceive what the eye sees. It can lead to things like a person seeing a mass of color just swirling around. Doctors and medical professionals don’t have the equipment or adequate research to deal with CVI. This means that many kids are missing out on development that is crucial for their growth.

2. Retinitis Pigmentosa:

This is a genetic disorder because of which people have vision loss for their peripheral vision because the cells in their retina start to break down. People with this disorder also struggle to see at night. 

3. Macular Degeneration 

There are different types of this condition, but the most common one is a dry macular celebration. It is found in adults because of which their central vision starts to deteriorate. 

4. Retinopathy of Prematurity

Retinopathy of Prematurity is a condition usually found in babies born prematurely—the blood vessels in the eye bleed, leading to retinal detachment and scarring… Still, more Surgeries can lessen visual impairment severity often than not, babies with this condition have total vision loss. 

Here is a nice video explaining about Do Blind People Blink And How Often Compared To People That Can See?

Why Do People Blink? 

So, let’s start with the basics. Why do people in general blink? 

Blinking is a semi-automatic bodily function. Your eyes rapidly open and close, therefore lubricating your entire eye because your tears are spread all over it. For light to focus properly on your eye and for your vision to not be blurry, light needs to reflect on a smooth surface.

The tear film that will spread over your eye when you blink will provide that smooth surface for light to reflect. The lubrication also helps relieve you from the itch you get in your eye (especially your cornea) due to dryness. 

Moreover, blinking also helps remove any foreign particles and just particles from your eye. 

Are Blind People Able To Blink And How Often Do They Do It Compared To People That Can See

When it comes to blind people blinking and how often they do it, it depends on each individual. If a person is born blind, they will blink because their optical nerves and muscles will function and carry out this semi-automatic, natural response. Some will blink more often, some less and some never. 

On the other hand, if a person is blind due to trauma in their eyes because of some accident, and their optical nerves and muscles are damaged, they will not be able to blink. This is because the muscles and nerves in the eye will not be working. Therefore, they will not respond to any sort of stimulus because of the severe nerve damage. 

Also, you have to check out my post on the Best 8 Gifts For Blind Of 2022.

At the end of the day, all of us should remember that blind people are human beings as well. Just because they can’t see doesn’t mean we get to treat them however we want to. There are certain things they like and certain things they dislike a lot.

For some people, it might be waving hands in front of them to check “if they are blind.” To some, it might be taking their hands to make them feel or touch something (for the sake of better understanding of anything). 

So, it is better to clear things out with them. Communicate with them, ask them what they like and don’t like, learn their boundaries, and then follow them. This will help you get a better understanding of them as well as you won’t annoy or hurt them either.