Eye twitching, or blepharospasm, is the involuntary repetitive spasm of the eyelid – mostly the upper eyelid. In many instances, eye twitching is not a sign of anything serious so there is no need to be afraid, however, there are some instances where you may need to report to your doctor.
Causes
Eye twitching can be caused by:
Caffeine
Stress
Smoking
Fatigue
Irritation of the eyelids
Frequent alcohol intake
Lack of sleep
Chronic eye twitching that affects both eyes is known as Benign Essential Blepharoplasm. It's exact cause is yet to be ascertained but it occurs as a result of:
Sensitivity to light
Conjuctivitis
Blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid)
Dry eyes
Entropion (when the eyelid – often lower eyelid – folds inwards.
Sometimes, eye twitching is caused by disorders in the brain and nervous system. These disorders usually include:
Cervical dystonia: this is a painful disease that causes the involuntary turn of the neck left, right, up and down. Dystonia generally occurs when muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures.
Multiple sclerosis: is a disease that causes damage to the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Side effects from medication.
The less serious kind of eye twitching is painless and and will usually go away on its own but in the period that it occurs, it can be very disruptive and annoying.
If, however, symptoms become more serious, you should see a doctor to be sure that there's nothing seriously wrong.
Call your doctor if:
Your eyelid starts to droop and stays half closed.
Your eyes are red and start to swell.
Your eyelid is completely closed.
Twitching doesn't stop after a week.
Spasms are experienced in other facial muscles.
Treatment
More often than not, if the twitch is not as a result of a more serious underlying factor, it will stop after a while if you start getting enough rest and reduce (or cut out) alcohol and caffeine intake.
If the twitch is caused by dry eyes that cause the cornea or conjunctiva to be irritated, there are medications that can be used for relief.
While there is no exact treatment for this, there are certain procedures carried out by doctors in some parts of the world that are known to stop or prevent eye twitching.
In some instances, doctors put the person on nutritional therapy.
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