Blinking is a vital part of eye health. It keeps your eyes moist, helps prevent infections and provides short mental rest periods to help you focus.

Your eyelids, eyebrows and eyelashes stop foreign objects from entering the eye, but they cannot keep everything out. That's why a blink is necessary to flush dust and bacteria out of your eyes every few seconds.

The tear film your eyes produce when you blink also supplies them with essential oxygen. Without it, your corneas would swell and get very dry, which can lead to infection or other problems.

When your eyes are healthy, you blink between 1-60 times per minute. This is called your "blink frequency." People with low blink frequencies need to talk with their Miami Beach eye doctor about the importance of maintaining a healthy blink rate and how to treat it.

It's also possible to have a higher or lower number of blinks per minute. It can be caused by changes in age, medications or other factors.

If you have a problem with your blink frequency, your eye doctor can prescribe you special drops that will thicken your tears so they can properly lubricate your eyes and prevent dry eye symptoms.

You'll be able to get better vision and avoid digital eye strain by making it a point to blink more often. Take regular breaks while you're using a screen and make sure to do full blinks -- closing your eyes and pausing for a few seconds before opening them again.