How To Reduce And Stop Your Eye From Twitching

If you have ever endured incessant eyelid twitching, you know how annoying it can be. Eyelid twitching, also called myokymia, is an involuntary eyelid muscle contraction that commonly affects the lower eyelid. Treatments for eyelid twitching depends on its severity. There are things you can try yourself at home before going to the doctor if it is mild enough.

Causes

Minor twitches are usually caused by:

  • Too much caffeine
  • Stress
  • Allergies
  • Fatigue
  • Poor nutrition
  • Dry eyes
  • Uncorrected vision problems

Severe eye twitches can last for several weeks. These types of spasms are typically associated with blepharospasm. It can occur for no apparent reason and, other times can be connected to a kind of neurological injury or illness or a blood flow issue to the facial nerve. A neuro-ophthalmologist should assess severe blepharospasm.

Symptoms

A minor eye twitch is when your eyelid spasms uncontrollably and it might come and go for two to three days, then disappear by itself. A severe eye twitch lasts much longer than that and usually does not go away on its own. Your eyelid might contract so forcefully that your entire eye fully opens and closes, over and over again. A severe eye twitch is incredibly annoying to deal with and interferes with your daily life.

You should seek the advice of your eye doctor if you have severe eye twitching or a twitch that lasts longer than a few days.

Treatment

To determine the best treatment, you must first determine the severity of your twitch. To treat minor eye twitches, you should:

  • Relax by trying to reduce stress in your daily life
  • Limit caffeine intake
  • Rest by getting plenty of sleep and take frequent breaks from your computer and other electronic screens
  • Apply a warm compress to the twitching eye and gently massage your eyelid with your fingertips
  • Try either over-the-counter oral or topical antihistamines such as eye drops to slow your eyelid muscle contractions

Treatment for severe eye twitching is more invasive and might include:

  • Botox injections to paralyze your eye muscles
  • Medications to relax your eye muscles
  • Surgery to remove the contributing eye muscles

Most eyelid twitching is harmless and tends to go away on its own. Sometimes, severe eyelid twitching could signal a more severe disorder. It is always best to seek the advice of an eye doctor if you suspect that there is anything wrong with your eye health. For the treatment of a twitching eyelid or any other eye problems, book an appointment with Blink Vision Care. Our experienced optometrists will find a solution to have you seeing clearly again.

Visit our recent blog that breaks down the most common reasons behind eye pain and soreness