Most dry eye treatments focus on the tears themselves. But every blink is also a small pump: the lids close, spread the tear film, and squeeze oil from the glands along the lid edge. If the lower lid is loose or the blink is incomplete, even good tears do not do their job. An October 2026 Optometry Times podcast discussed a study that tried to strengthen the blink itself.
A loose lower lid is a common, overlooked driver
Lower lid laxity becomes more common with age. Traditionally, it has been treated as a surgical problem, fixed by tightening the lid. The study discussed on the podcast, by James G. Chelnis, MD, and Alexandra Chelnis in Clinical Ophthalmology, took a different route: using a device that delivers electrical stimulation to the muscles around the eye (the orbicularis and the small muscle of Riolan near the lid edge) to retrain how they contract.
What the study reported
Thirty people with dry eye received a series of treatments. Afterward:
- Lid laxity on a simple pull test went from 100% of participants to 23%.
- Tear breakup time, a measure of how long the tear film stays stable, improved by 286%.
- Oil gland scores improved by 78%.
- Symptom scores on a standard dry eye questionnaire dropped by 53%.
- No side effects were reported.
How to read these results
This was a small study with no comparison group, so it cannot tell us how much of the improvement came from the device versus time, other treatments, or expectation. Larger controlled trials are needed. On the podcast, guest Cory Lappin, OD, placed this approach alongside other in-office options such as radiofrequency and intense pulsed light, each aimed at a different part of the problem.
What this means for you
- Ask your eye doctor to check how completely you blink and how firm your lower lids are.
- Try blink exercises during screen time: close gently, pause, squeeze softly, then open.
- Keep up the basics that help oil glands, such as warm compresses and lid hygiene.
Lid position also matters before eye surgery; this cataract surgery resource explains why surgeons check the eye surface first.
In my experience, the blink is one of the most overlooked parts of a dry eye exam. A quick look at how your lids move can change the treatment plan.
Source: From Paper to Clinic, Episode 8: Dynamic muscle stimulation and the blink physiology behind dry eye (Optometry Times, 10/2026). This article is an educational summary written by Khanna Vision Institute and is not a substitute for medical advice.