TERMINALLY DRY EYES (News from the World of Medicine - Reader's Digest) Working long hours at a computer can cause eyestrain. A letter to the New England Journal of Medicine provides one explanation for the problem. Japanese researchers studied some 50 office workers who spent an average of three hours a day at a terminal. Since blinking keeps eyes moist - thus reducing strain - the researchers counted blinking rates under different conditions. The workers averaged 22 blinks a minute when relaxed, ten blinks a minute while reading a book and just SEVEN a minute while reading text on computer screen. The computer workers also kept their eyes open wider, which meant moisture evaporated more quickly. If you work at a computer screen, close your eyes periodically. That spreads a tear film and rests your eyes. And remember to blink more often.