Eye Twitching or Blepharospasm
What is Eye Twitching or an Eye Twitch?
Eye Twitching, or Blepharospasm, is involuntary eyelid twitching. It is also referred to as an eye muscle spasm. The term blepharospasm really applies to any abnormal blinking or involuntary eye twitching of the eyelids caused by uncontrolled contractions of the muscles around the eyelids.
Sometimes people experience the twitching under the eye and others may experience the twitching in their right eye or twitching in their left eye. In simple terms it is a blinking disorder. One type of blepharospasm, Benign Essential Blepharospasm or BEB is a blinking disorder that is not life threatening and has an unknown causes. Other types of blepharospasm may be associated with dry eyes, Tourette's Syndrome or other neurological problems and may be more serious. In general, patients experiencing blepharospasm have normal eyes and any disturbance in their vision is due to the forced closure of the eyelids. BEB should not be confused with ptosis, or a drooping of the eyelids that may be caused by a weakness or paralysis of the muscle in the upper eyelid. Minor eye twitches usually do not worsen. If they do worsen or persist, it is important to seek the advice of an eye care professional.
Blepharospasm usually starts with abnormal or excessive blinking that is accompanied by general eye irritation. Early on, the excessive blinking may only occur as a result of being exposed to bright lights, being tired or if you are under a great deal of stress. The frequency of the eye spasms may increase throughout the day. Sometimes the eye spasm may resolve during sleep and not even occur after a sound night's sleep until you have been awake for many hours. As the condition worsens, the spasms tend to get stronger and may result in the eyelids being tightly shut for a few hours at time making it impossible for the person to see.
Some alternative names:
eye muscle twitch, eyelid twitch, eyelid spasm, eye spasm
Is it a constant eye twitch or does it come and go?
Eye Twitching, for most people, is just annoying, involuntary eye muscles spasm surrounding the eye that go away over time. The spasms usually occur a few times and come back. Spasms that cause twitching on one side of the face are known as hemifacial spasms. These are typically due to some form of irritation to the facial nerve. This type of spasm requires visiting your family doctor who may refer you to a neurologist or an eye care professional, in order to determine the cause and what treatment might be appropriate. If your eye is twitching, then you should read about how to stop eye from twitching.
Next page: What causes eye twitching
[Page updated 1/2011]
