Why Your Eye Twitches
Your crush finally talks to you in class, and you just stare. Suddenly, you
feel a twitching in your eyelid. Horrified, you ask yourself, “did he just
see that?”
Eye twitching or eye spasms usually occur in the upper eyelid. It is a
repetitive, uncontrollable or involuntary pulsation. It is usually
painless but definitely annoying. It can happen to anyone: men and women,
old and young.
A Few Types of Eye Spasms
*Minor eyelid twitch: This seldom occurs and disappears just as fast.
Although considered less serious, it is often associated with the following:
Stress
Lack of sleep
Caffeine
Fatigue
*Benign essential blepharospasm: This type commonly occurs in women more
than men. It is still considered harmless, but the frequency of occurrence
is quite high. There is excessive blinking and/or eye irritation. The
conditions associated with it are almost the same as that of a minor eyelid
twitch. These are:
Fatigue
Stress
Irritants such as bright light, wind or air pollution
A worsening of this conditions may cause your eyes to have increased
sensitivity to light. There are cases where the spasms are so intense that
eyelids stay shut for up to several hours. If this occurs, it may result infacial spasms. Studies suggest that this type is a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If your parents are afflicted with it, you are at high risk of developing the same.
*Hemifacial spasm: This is a rare type of eye spasm. It involves the eyelid
muscles and the muscles around the mouth. When it occurs, it usually
affects only one side of the face. It is thought that the most common
reason may be due to an artery putting pressue on the nerve to the facial
muscles.
For some patients, eye twitching is a side effect of taking certain
medications that treat psychosis and epilepsy. In very rare instances,
frequent eyes spasms are seen as signs of disorders that affect the brain
nerve disorder. Such disorders include:
Bell’s palsy
Dystonia
Parkinson’s disease
Tourette’s syndrome
Whether it’s a minor eye twitching or a serious one, don’t take chances.
Visit the specialists at Eastside Eye Associates and Tribeca Eye Physicians for more information on your condition. Call 212-861-6200 or
212-693-7200 to schedule an now!
