Increased Blink Rate Causes

Eye blinking symptoms include both an increased and decreased rate of blinking. 

Most commonly, increased eye blinking results from eye irritation caused by bright light, dust, smoke, or a foreign body in the eye. Allergies, infections, and dry eye may also increase the rate of blinking. Conditions of stress, anxiety or fatigue may lead to increased blinking. 

Facial tics, which are habitual repetitive twitches or movements of the face that occur most often in children, may include increased blinking. Congenital glaucoma is a rare cause of increased blinking.

Eye blinking symptoms may also be caused by conditions occurring in the nervous system. Blepharospasm, a condition characterized by rapid, uncontrolled blinking and even involuntary eye closure, is classified as a dystonia, in which the nervous system signals the muscles to contract inappropriately. These spasms may be accompanied by other quick facial changes such as eye rolling or grimacing. Increased blinking may also occur in several nervous system disorders, such as stroke, tardive (slow or belated onset) dyskinesia, Tourette’s syndrome, or Aicardi syndrome (rare organic brain disorder acquired in early childhood).