Eyes are blurry and they hurt to keep blinking; what's wrong?

Many possible causes: Dry eye is the most common cause of eye irritation and can make your vision blurry. Often it feels better to keep them closed. In severe cases there is pain with blinking. See an ophthalmologist for an evaluation.

Dry eye: I would try frequent artificial tears, ointment at night, warm compresses 1-2x/ day and omega-3 fatty acids supplementation. If persistent symptoms, i would see your eye doctor.