Eye twitch

Eyes | Ophthalmology | Eye twitch (Symptom)


Description

An eye twitch or also known as blepharospasm is an involuntary spasm of the muscles in the eyelid. Eyelid twitching usually occurs every few seconds and lasts for a few minutes. It may come and go over a period of days or weeks. Sometimes the twitching results in the eye being held closed until the movement stops, but this is not always the case.

Causes

Essential indicates that the cause is unknown, but fatigue, stress, excessive caffeine intake, or an irritant are possible contributing factors. In most cases, symptoms last for a few days then disappear without treatment, but sometimes the twitching is chronic and persistent, causing lifelong challenges. In those rare cases, the symptoms are often severe enough to result in functional blindness. The person eyelids feel like they are clamping shut and will not open without great effort. Patients have normal eyes, but for periods of time are effectively blind due to their inability to open their eyelids.

Eye twitching may occur with other eye symptoms such as watery eyes and irritated or red eyes or eyelids. Sometimes eye twitching appears along with facial tics, which are other involuntary movements of the face including grimacing and nose twitching. In most cases, eye twitching goes away on its own with rest or removal of irritating factors. ...