06/08/2026
When you’re focused on a screen, your blink rate can drop by as much as 50%, and your blinks become incomplete.
Over time, those incomplete blinks can reduce the normal flow of oil from the meibomian glands in your eyelids. These glands produce the oil layer of your tears, which helps prevent tears from evaporating too quickly.
When the oil isn’t flowing properly, the glands can become clogged, a condition called Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
As the tear film becomes unstable, your vision may fluctuate throughout the day. One minute things are sharp, the next they’re blurry, then a few blinks later they’re clear again.
So if you spend hours on a computer and your vision seems to come and go, it may not just be eye strain, it could be an early sign that your meibomian glands aren’t functioning the way they should.