Involuntary eye twitching is not a painful condition but when you have this problem, it is very annoying. This article will help you to understand the causes behind involuntary eye twitches and suggest remedies to get rid of it. Read on…
Eye twitching is a common term used for describing blepharospasm. In this condition, the muscles around the eyelids undergo contractions involuntarily. It mostly occurs just in one eye but both the eyes may also get affected together. The duration of each involuntary contraction is hardly few seconds but it often repeats several times for a minute or two and then it subsides on its own. Some people experience it again and again quite frequently for several days or even months. In some rare cases, it may so happen that the contraction is so strong that it forces the eyelid to close for few seconds before it reopens.
Causes
In general, it can be said that involuntary eye twitching is harmless and does not affect the vision. Some of the main reasons for involuntary eyelid twitching are as follows:
- Excessive strain in the eyes due to working for long hours staring at the computer screen.
- Too much exposure to bright lights.
- Dry eyes
- Mental stress and anxiety
- Physical exhaustion
- Lack of sleep
- Nutritional imbalance caused by lack of sufficient vitamins and minerals like magnesium in the diet.
- Brain damage or underlying neurological disorder.
- Allergies affecting the eyes
- Excessive intake of alcohol and caffeine.
- Side effects of medicines
How to Stop Involuntary Eye Twitching?
If you experience mild involuntary eye twitching on a regular basis, you must do the needful to stop that. Here are a few suggestions in this regard:
- Apply warm compression to the eyelids. Take a bowl of warm water, dip a clean washcloth into it and keep it over the affected eyelids for 5 minutes. This should be applied twice a day to relax the eyelid muscles. Similarly, cold compression can provide relief
- If you are not getting enough sleep these days, then it’s time that you get a good amount of sleep. You must sleep for at least 8 hours at a stretch, if not more. This will provide the much-needed rest to your tired eyes and help you get rid of the problem of eye twitching soon.
- Those of you who have to work for several hours in front of computer should take frequent breaks in between. This will reduce the eye strain to a great extent and thus alleviate muscles spasms of eyelid.
- Heavy consumption of alcohol and caffeine should be strictly avoided for the time being as both these beverages often contribute to this problem.
- Learn some relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation to keep your mind free from stress and anxiety. This will lessen the chances of this kind of eyelid spasm.
Treatment
When eye twitching is severe or turns chronic, it requires medicinal treatment. Doctors first try to treat it with the help of medicines. Oral medicines like antiepileptic drugs and tranquilizers are widely used for the treatment of blepharospasm. Dry eye problem can be resolved with suitable eye drops that lubricate the eyes. If it is found that dry eyes is caused by wearing wrong type of contact lenses, then it has to be corrected with proper lenses. Ophthalmologists often advise these patients to use contact lenses made of specific material to control dry eye.
Botox injection is another effective medicine used for the treatment of involuntary eye twitches. In serious cases where all the non-surgical methods of treatment do not work for a patient, doctors opt for surgery. The surgical procedure involves removal of muscles and nerves from the eyelid and is known as myectomy. For this, small incisions are made on the brow and eyelid crease and certain muscles of the eyelids are then removed with great care.
Most cases of involuntary eye twitching are not that serious and can be cured with simple remedies like a good sleep, cold compression and stress reduction. However, if it continues for a week, then visit a ophthalmologist for proper diagnosis. As eyes are sensitive, you cannot afford to delay the treatment and increase the chances of unnecessary complications.
