Health
Eye Twitches: When is it Serious? BY TRACY WRIGHT | ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN SAPELAK
Who hasn’t been working on a screen too much lately? After a while, you may notice your eye begin to twitch involuntarily. This condition takes on different forms from benign cases to more complicated conditions that can be tied to complicated disorders.
disorder in which the muscles on one side of your face twitch Eyelid twitching is a benign condition known as ocular myokymia involuntarily. Hemifacial spasm is most often caused by a blood vessel that typically occurs when you are tired or stressed, have had too touching a facial nerve, but it may be caused by a facial much caffeine or alcohol, or have an irritation of the nerve injury or a tumor, or it may not have a cause,” eye surface. You may feel your upper eyelid begin said the Mayo Clinic. to twitch and you may experience other symptoms like a higher rate of blinking, irritation or dry eyes. Getting more When eye twitching is a mild and benign condition, According to Mayo Clinic, frequent eyelid twitching is sleep, reducing getting more sleep, reducing stress, wearing sunglasses pretty common and may recur over a period of a few stress, wearing when in extreme light, using eye drops and decreasing hours or days. Eyelid twitching can also be caused by sunglasses caffeine may be enough to stop or curtail eye twitching. corneal abrasion, dry eyes or sensitivity to light. If the condition is more severe, your doctor may when in extreme recommend botulinum toxin injections into muscles Eye twitching that begins as frequent blinking of both light, using around your eye, according to the American Academy eyes is known as benign essential blepharospasm and eye drops and of Ophthalmology (AAO). This usually provides can be very serious. Scientists believe it is due to a decreasing temporary relief. movement disorder of the muscles around the eye, the caffeine may be Mayo Clinic says. The cause is not certain but can be enough to stop If injections and other medications do not provide tied to a problem in the brain known as basal ganglia. long term relief, surgery may be the only option. For or curtail eye essential blepharospasm, surgeons may either remove Other conditions of the brain or nervous system twitching. the facial muscle causing spasms or the part of the may cause eye twitching like Parkinson’s Disease, nerve that causes them, the AAO said. Bell’s Palsy, dystonia, multiple sclerosis or Tourette syndrome. The good news is that most people’s eye twitches are typically not serious and can be eased with some lifestyle changes or When eye twitching becomes more frequent or disrupts your life, restrictions. But if it does become more severe or hampers with your it is probably time to see your health care provider. They will do life, seeing your eye doctor is the best bet. a physical and ask about your symptoms. You will most likely be referred to an ophthalmologist who may diagnose benign essential * If you are experiencing eye twitching, contact your doctor with any and all questions. blepharospasm or a hemifacial spasm, which is “a nervous system
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WELLNESS360 | MAY/JUNE 2021
