EyeProtect app for iPhone and iPad

Blinking helps to keep our eyes moist and free of dirt and when we don’t do it enough that can lead to blurred vision, dry eyes and headaches.

• How to use the app?
The best way to use the app is to place your iPhone on a stand either by the side of your MacBook / laptop computer or below your iMac screen / desktop computer screen. Once the app is started it will turn the iPhones screen to black and remind you to blink in case you forget to. The iPhone orientation could be either vertical or horizontal. The same is true for using an iPad.

Experts warn people working in front of a screen could be damaging their eyes because they aren’t blinking enough. We naturally blink 20 times a minute but a survey has revealed that the rate drops between one and three times when staring at a computer or smartphone. We dont often pay attention to our blinking habits throughout the day. But whether we realize it or not, blinking is vitally important to our eye health.

• Blinking nourishes and lubricates our eyes
Blinking is necessary to clean and moisturize our eyes. Each time we blink, a thin layer of tears is spread across the eye surface, keeping them from drying out as well as brushing away any small particles of dust or dirt that could otherwise irritate our eyes or impair our vision.

• When focused, we blink less frequently
Did you know that the number of times we blink decreases drastically when we are focused on something? On average we only blink three to eight times per minute when reading, watching TV, listening to a podcast, working on a computer, or another activity that requires intense focus. That’s roughly 60 percent less than our normal rate of blinking! This lack of blinking over time can lead to eyestrain and dry eyes.

Frequent and gentle blinking is essential to maintaining healthy eyes and optimal vision because it allows your eyelids to keep your eyes coated with three beneficial layers of tears:

- The first layer of tears lies right up against the whites of your eyes, and provides an even coat of protein-rich moisture for the second layer to adhere to.
- The middle watery layer helps to wash away foreign debris. It also nourishes the cornea of your eyes with minerals, a variety of proteins, and moisture.
-The third outer layer of tears is somewhat oily. It serves to prevent the middle watery layer from evaporating quickly, and provides needed lubrication between your eyes and your eyelids.

If your eyes are not regularly coated with the three layers of tears described above, they will be deprived of ongoing nourishment and cleansing, and they will be unnecessarily strained.

To optimally support your eyes and vision, its best to blink softly every two to four seconds, which translates to about fifteen to thirty blinks per minute. By using the app to remind you to blink more frequently, over time, your body will turn your conscious efforts into a habit.

You should blink regularly during all activities. Frequent blinking may not sound like it can do much for your health, but its one of those seemingly insignificant actions that can really make a difference to the quality of your health over the long term if you can make it a healthy habit.

In addition, new research indicates that the brain enters a momentary state of wakeful rest when we blink, perhaps allowing us to focus better afterward. Briefly closing our eyes might actually help us to gather our thoughts and focus attention on the world around us.

The app has four modes: screen, audio, vibration, flashlight. Based on your personal preferences or the environment you want to use the app in, you can switch easily between each one of them.

• Screen mode: the screen of the app will slowly brighten up whenever you need to blink and if you still do not do so it will begin to gently change colors until you blink.
• Audio: the app will play a simple tone
• Vibration: the device will vibrate softly
• Flashlight: the flashlight will blink quickly