Eye twitching. Blepharospasm!

Eyelid twitching, or myokymia, is an involuntary contraction of the muscle tissue in the eye area. In most cases, the attack affects only the upper or lower eyelid and is sudden and short-lived. Less commonly, twitching spreads to both eyelids and lasts up to three to four weeks, causing pain.

2.Causes of eye twitching

Almost all people experience eye twitching at some point. Although the exact causes of this nervous tic are generally unknown, it may be associated with fatigue, stress, or consuming large amounts of caffeine. This slight twitching of the eye is painless and harmless. But even so, the nervous tic can be distressing, especially if the spasms are strong enough to force the eyelids to close and open completely.

When the eye twitches very rarely, it is not so serious. But some people experience cramps several times throughout the day. And this can be repeated over several days, weeks and even months. In this case, a nervous tic already becomes a real problem. In the most severe cases, eye twitching can cause a person to constantly blink and squint and be unable to keep their eyes open. Vision may deteriorate.

Sometimes eyelid twitching can be a symptom of eye diseases such as blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids), dry eyes, photosensitivity, conjunctivitis. Very rarely, a nervous tic is a sign of brain or neurological disorders - dystonia, Parkinson's disease, Bell's palsy and some others.

Taking certain medications, such as those for epilepsy, can cause the eye to twitch.

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Treatment and prevention of nervous tics of the eye

In cases where a nervous tic occurs from overwork and stress, the surest way to get rid of it is to calm down and relax. Breathing exercises, relaxing baths, aromatherapy, and mild sedatives are suitable for this. Adequate sleep is also important.
To relieve a tic attack, you need to squeeze your eyelids tightly for a few seconds, then relax. Repeat this exercise for 1-3 minutes. You can also blink quickly for 1-2 minutes: targeted muscle contraction can interrupt their involuntary contraction.
It is important to replenish the supply of vitamins and minerals in the body to protect yourself from cramps, magnesium, calcium and glycine are especially important.
It is worth giving up any “stimulating” foods, especially tea/coffee, dark chocolate and alcohol.
Walking in the fresh air and ventilating the room will also help get rid of nervous tics.

If a nervous tic makes you suspicious and is happening more and more often, consult a neurologist. Specialists at the Aximed Neurology Clinic will conduct a full diagnosis of your body, identify the causes of tics and recommend the best methods for getting rid of them. Do not neglect your body; if any manifestations differ from the norm and periodically return, consult experienced doctors.

3.Types of eye twitches

There are three types of eyelid twitching:

Twitching of the small eyelid;
Benign essential blepharospasm;
Hemifacial spasm.

Most common eyelid twitching

associated with
fatigue, stress, lack of sleep, drinking alcohol, caffeine and smoking.
The eye also twitches due to irritation of the surface of the eye or the membrane lining the eyelids (conjunctiva). Sometimes it is difficult to determine the cause of a tic, but almost always such twitching of the eyelid is harmless, painless and goes away quickly.

Benign essential blepharospasm

usually develops in middle-aged people and gradually progresses. In women, blepharospasm is diagnosed twice as often as in men. As a rule, benign essential blepharospasm begins with frequent blinking or irritation of the eyes caused by fatigue, stress or external irritants - bright light, wind, polluted air. As the disease progresses, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, and facial spasms may develop. In particularly severe cases, the spasms can become so severe that the eyelids remain closed for up to several hours. Gradually the eye stops twitching and the contractions go away. According to scientists, benign essential blepharospasm is a neurological disorder that develops due to a combination of environmental and genetic factors.

Hemifacial spasm

It is quite rare, and this disease does not just cause eye twitching. The tic usually affects the muscles around the mouth. Unlike other types of eyelid twitching, hemifacial spasm affects only one side of the face. The cause of tics in most cases is arterial pressure on the nerves of the facial muscles.

If your eye twitches, most likely nothing bad has happened. But you need to see a doctor if:

The eye twitches for a week or longer;
The eyelid twitches so violently that it closes completely;
Spasms appeared not only in the eyes, but also in other facial muscles;
There is redness, swelling, or discharge from the eyes.

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Is nervous tic of the eye dangerous?

A nervous tic itself is not harmful to health, but if the eye twitches regularly and does not always have an obvious cause, such as nervous shock or overwork from working at the computer, it would not hurt to consult a neurologist, because a tic can be triggered by developing serious conditions:

trauma and organic brain damage,
infectious diseases of the brain,
GM tumors,
stroke, multiple sclerosis, etc.,
mental illness.

In addition, a nervous tic of the eye can be considered a kind of cosmetic defect, because of which a person may avoid society (or society will avoid him), lose self-confidence, and depression may develop. Therefore, if you are bothered by a twitching eye, you should consult a neurologist.

4.Treatment

In most cases, the eye twitching will stop on its own if you simply get some rest and/or limit your intake of alcohol, coffee, and tobacco. Ticks due to dry eyes and corneal irritation can be treated with drops such as artificial tears - they often help.

There are no effective treatments for benign essential blepharospasm, but there are a number of treatments that can reduce the severity of the disease. One of them, used for treatment in the USA and Canada, is Botox injections

.
When a small amount of botulinum toxin is injected into the eye muscle, spasms decrease or disappear for several months. But the effect gradually wears off and injections are usually repeated. There are also medications
prescribed for mild cases of benign essential blepharospasm, but their effectiveness is approximately 15%.
Some patients benefit from alternative treatments for blepharospasm
- acupuncture, manual therapy, diet therapy, hypnosis. But the benefits of these techniques have not been scientifically proven.

If none of the treatments for blepharospasm are effective, your doctor may recommend a myectomy.

. This is a surgical procedure in which some of the muscles and nerves of the eyelids are removed.

For the treatment of hemifacial blepharospasm

neurosurgical operation
may be prescribed , the purpose of which is to reduce the pressure of the artery on the facial nerve. But such an operation, although it gives a permanent result, can be associated with serious complications and permanent side effects.

Nervous tics can be caused by:

Psychological fatigue or sudden shock, frequent stress, neurosis.
Eye fatigue and eye diseases that affect the nerve endings.
Trigeminal neuralgia and other neurological diseases.
Infections, intoxication of the body (especially typical for children whose immunity is not yet strong).
Parasites, helminthic infestations.
Disturbance of metabolic processes in the body.
Vitamin deficiency, which causes muscle cramps and spasms.
Alcohol and drug abuse.
There are also hypotheses about a hereditary tendency to tics.

Simple moves

The first thing you can try when a tic appears is the following exercises:

Starting position standing or sitting. You need to close your eyes very tightly, while the edges of the eyelids should be as close to each other as possible. After this you can open your eyes. About 5-6 such cycles need to be completed.
In the same position, start blinking quickly, without stopping, for 10-20 seconds. This will also help stop eyelid twitching, as it relieves tension in the eye muscles, allowing them to fully relax.

It should be recalled once again that these exercises will only help those patients who have symptoms of fatigue and overexertion. If the causes of the disease are associated with pathological processes, then you need to try other more effective methods.

How does this happen?

Due to vigorous activity near computers or phones, books, which requires the work of the facial muscles of the eyes, forehead and face as a whole, the eyes become very tired. This happens to such an extent that the neurotransmitters responsible for muscle function cease to be synthesized correctly. That is, chemicals do not transmit impulses from neurons to muscle tissue. The eyelid begins to twitch. Disruption of neurotransmitters is associated with stress and fatigue, and people often notice this. If the day turns out to be unpleasant, then the eye will definitely begin to twitch. Myokymia can be caused by some antipsychotics and nervous system stimulants in combination with difficult life events.

What actions should be taken if the eyelids twitch?

In some cases, preventative treatment for twitching of the lower or upper eyelid can be done independently.

In this case, you need to relax and do the following series of exercises:

to optimize cerebral circulation, you need to sit on a chair so that the surface of your back and the back of your head are located in a straight line;
shake your wrists a dozen times. This will relieve nervous tension;
rub with your palms until you feel warmth;
place both elbows on the table and fold your fingers;
place the palms of your hands on your closed eyes so that the dimples of your palms are located opposite the eye sockets;
cross the phalanges of the little fingers in the shape of glasses, place the other fingers except the thumbs on the forehead, place the palms on the cheekbones.

When the eyelids are closed, you need to relax and try to imagine something abstract from pressing problems and production tasks.

When the problem is in the spine

Twitching of the eyelid can also occur with diseases of the spine. In this case, the nerve fibers that contain motor neurons directed to a specific muscle group are compressed. In this case, it is also very important to visit a neurologist, since only he is able to identify problems and prescribe a full examination of the cervical spine, including an MRI.

In this case, drug therapy comes to the rescue, but quite often it is possible to cope without pills. Just move regularly enough, not necessarily in the gym. You can just walk more and not sit at the computer. It is very useful for diseases of the spine to visit a massage therapist and undergo several sessions of manual therapy.

If twitching of the eyelid of the right eye persists for several weeks, and the discomfort gradually spreads to most of the face, then this indicates a serious neurological deficit. Sometimes the cause lies in ordinary vegetative-vascular dystonia, but often it is associated with a more fatal problem. In order not to worry in advance, you must undergo a full examination by a neurologist, who will be able to clarify the diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment.