Eye twitching can be seen only in the right or only the left eye, but sometimes it is seen as an under-eye twitch in both or the lower lid; usually takes a short time. Eye twitching can be caused by insomnia, stress, overwork or fatigue. Although eye twitching is not a complete symptom of a disease, if there are long-lasting twitches, it may be a neurological disorder. If the frequency of the problem and the severity of contractions increase, it becomes difficult to open the eyelid. As a result, a condition called blepharospasm may occur.
What Causes Eye Twitching?
Eye twitching, medically called myokymia, occurs as a result of involuntary, sudden and repetitive contraction of the muscles in the eyelid. These contractions, or spasms, usually cause the upper lid to twitch, but it can also cause the lid under the eyelid to twitch. These spasms are colloquially called eye twitches and are usually very mild in most individuals. Although it is not clear when the eye twitch will occur, sometimes contractions may occur many times a day, and sometimes there may be no twitching for weeks or even months. When an eye twitch occurs, it usually occurs every few seconds.
The eye twitches; If the twitching is not frequent, severe, and long-lasting enough to bother them, they often do not know why, as the cause has not been investigated. However, if there are serious problems and if it bothers individuals or does not go away if precautions are taken, the reasons are investigated.
Main causes of eye twitching:
- Excessive consumption of caffeinated beverages that can cause insomnia and insomnia
- Fatigue
- Alcohol, tobacco use
- Allergy reaction
- Eye irritation and dry eyes
- Continuous and uninterrupted use of an unfiltered computer screen
- Side effects of drugs used,
- Stress
- Infections around the eyes
- Environmental factors such as sun, wind or dust
- Corneal scratches
- Physical effort
- Forcing, impact
What Are Eye Twitch Complications?
Eye twitching, which is usually insignificant, can very rarely be a symptom of neurological disorders. If eyelid twitching is due to neurological problems, it appears with other neurological symptoms. Brain and nerve disorders that cause this type of eyelid twitching include:
- Bell's palsy (facial paralysis); It is a condition that causes part of the face to droop downward.
- Dystonia; It is the condition of unexpected muscle spasms and the contraction of body tissues affected by these spasms.
- Spasmodic torticollis; is a condition of cervical dystonia that causes random spasm of the neck and turning the head into uncomfortable positions.
- Multiple Sclerosis; It is a disease condition of the central nervous system that causes cognitive and movement problems and fatigue, called MS for short.
- Parkinson's disease; It is a type of disease that can cause trembling limbs, muscle stiffness, balance problems and speech difficulties.
- Tourette Syndrome; It is a disease characterized by involuntary movements and verbal tics.
What is Persistent Eye Twitching?
The muscles, usually in the upper part of your eyelid, contract and relax. That's why you feel something called twitching in your eye. This eyelid moves every few seconds for a minute or two. Sometimes only the left eye twitches, and sometimes the right eye twitches, or both eyes twitch simultaneously or alternately.
These twitches are usually painless, harmless and go away on their own. However, if these spasms are too severe, they can cause the eyelid to close completely. This is also known as constant eye twitching. This persistent eye twitching, benign blepharospasm, unlike eye twitching, becomes increasingly severe when left untreated and can eventually lead to vision problems.
These vision problems are blurred vision, sensitivity to light, strabismus and facial spasm. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor and seek treatment. Persistent eye twitching, or benign essential blepharospasm, usually occurs after mid-adulthood. Its severity is increasing. It is seen twice as often in women as in men.
How Does Eye Twitching Happen?
When the cause is found, eye twitching occurs. it will be easier to pass the spinning. Sleeping regularly, not consuming excessive amounts of caffeinated beverages, not using stimulants such as alcohol or tobacco, taking breaks when we spend time with digital devices such as computers, using appropriate glasses if our eyes are defective, that is, if there are scratches on the cornea, can reduce or completely eliminate eye twitches.
Warm to rest our eyes. we can make tea compresses. The presence of calcium-containing foods such as cheese, milk, yoghurt in our diet helps to relieve eye twitching. Sometimes botulinum toxin can be applied. Eye drops may be required for dry eyes.
When to See a Doctor in Eye Twitching? What is Eye Twitch Treatment?
Eye twitching is usually mild and goes away on its own within a few days or weeks. In order to speed up this process, you should take measures to help it pass. No treatment or intervention is required when you take these precautions. However, if you have an eye twitch that does not go away despite all these, if it is severe and has a long duration, you should immediately apply to a health institution and have an eye examination. If you have an eye disease, it will be necessary to take action before it is too late for its diagnosis and treatment. These delays can lead to permanent eye problems. For this reason, eye twitching that does not go away should not be taken lightly and you should definitely go to the doctor.
In particular, problems such as eyelid drooping, excessive burring in the eyes, spasms in other parts of the body other than eye twitching, closure of the eyelid completely while twitching, straining the eye when opening the eyelid again, redness, swelling and discharge in the eye should be consulted without delay. is the sign.
Treatment of eye twitching is also done according to the underlying causes. First of all, your doctor will check if there is a defect in your eyes or if there is a scratch on your cornea and may recommend you to wear glasses accordingly. He or she may give you artificial tear drops. In addition, when your tears are not enough, your eyes become dry. To prevent this, you should use sunglasses that protect from UV rays in sunny weather.
You should never scratch or rub your eyes. These can cause eye infection and deterioration of the eye structure, as well as cause eye twitching.
If you have eye twitching due to stress, you can use muscle relaxants with the recommendation of your doctor. If your doctor has diagnosed blepharospasm, botulinum toxin can be applied as a treatment.
If your eye twitching continues for more than 3 weeks, there is usually a different underlying disease. Different underlying diseases are diagnosed with the examination and then the required diagnostic tests. Afterwards, your treatment process will start as soon as possible. Treatments can protect your eye health and reduce your chances of encountering more serious problems in the future.
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