Eye twitches are normal if they happen infrequently. These often come and go so quickly that people do not notice, let alone react. In most cases, twitches are indications that your eyes need rest. Twitching eyes are commonly caused in people after overworking or exposing eyes to extreme environments. It is rare but possible that twitching could indicate some serious eye problem. In this article, we will explore the common as well as serious causes of eye twitching.
Why do eyes twitch?
Eyelid twitches are actually sporadic spasms that are involuntary movement of muscles. Twitching means your eye muscles have contracted, which could be normal but its frequent occurrence could be serious. Frequent twitches can be inconvenient and downright annoying especially when you are in the middle of work.
Here are some of the common causes of eye twitching:
- Eye strain
- Poor sleep
- Light sensitivity
- Overexertion
- Direct exposure to sun or bright light
- Excessive consumption of caffeine
- Stress
- Side effect of taking certain medicines
- Alcoholism
Among all the above-listed causes, fatigue and stress are the most common. When you overwork, your eyes get affected a lot. Similarly, a lot of stress over time can trigger involuntary contraction of eye muscles that can worsen over time. If you notice frequent episodes of eyelid twitching, you must consider giving rest to your eyes. Besides, sleep well, drink a lot of water, apply an eye pack or cucumber slices to reduce eye strain.
Also Read: Common Causes and Triggers of Eyelid Twitching
However, if your eyes twitch a lot, you need to get checked for these medical conditions that can cause eye twitching:
- Hemifacial spasm: These are involuntary contractions of muscles on either side of the face. The primary cause of hemifacial spasm is facial nerve irritation that can affect your eyelids too.
- Eyelid myokymia: This is a nerve condition that is linked to your brain and causes increased involuntary blinking and closing of eyes.
- Blepharospasm: This is a serious nerve condition of eyelid myokymia that is linked to basal ganglia, a part of the brain. This condition is a chronic one where blinking and twitching increases over time, aggravating the condition.
- Meige syndrome: Also known as Brueghel Syndrome, this is an advanced type of blepharospasm, where the person experiences pain along with twitching. These spasms move your eyes, face, tongue as well as jaws. Twitching may worsen if a person is suffering from pink eye or conjunctivitis, swollen eyelids, red eyes, dry eyes, or any other eye infection.
Who is at risk?
Even though twitching is involuntary and can be caused due to various reasons, here are some factors that increase the risk:
- Sex: Women are found to be at greater risk of experiencing eye twitching as compared to men.
- Genetics: Serious twitching or blepharospasm is linked to genetics. This condition may have been passed on by generations, but scientists have not been able to identify the exact genes responsible for blepharospasm.
If you find your eyes twitching more than usual, you must provide them with ample rest. Wash your eyes with cold water and put cucumber slices on your eyes to de-stress them. Cut down your caffeine and nicotine intake to improve eye health. The more rest you provide to your eyes, the better they will get.
Image credits- freepik
