Eyelid flutter: why does it occur and what are the causes and treatments?

Flickering in the eyes or eyelids can be caused by many factors. The most common, they caused by stress or substance use like caffeine and alcohol.

But if they persist, they can be a sign of more serious health problems and deserve the attention of a specialist. Learn more about the different causes of this symptom below and how to treat them.

“Myokymia” is the medical term for recurrent, involuntary twitching of the eyelids. In common language, the situation is known as eyelid or eye twitching and is often associated with stress or excessive coffee consumption.

However, the cause may be different from what is thought, especially in patients with very recurrent tremors.

Episodes of symptoms are often unpredictable. Spasms, which can last from a few seconds to 2 minutes, can last for several days in a row, then disappear for months.

Why does the eyelid begin to twitch involuntarily?

Experts are currently classifying eyelids flutter divided into three types: general eyelid spasm, essential blepharospasm, and hemifacial spasm. Hemifacial spasm affects only one eye, is considered a neuromuscular disorder and has a genetic origin.

In similar cases, uncontrollable and frequent eye tremors It is caused by excessive pressure from certain blood vessels to the nerves in the face. Along with this symptom, the problem also creates facial muscle spasms and the inability to open the eyes.

Cases of essential blepharospasm are chronic ones. In them, the patient has a habit of uncontrollable blinking. This disease, which usually affects both eyes, is extremely rare. It is estimated to affect only 50,000 people in the United States.

However, most of the time the problem is nothing more than a normal spasm that does not indicate a more serious problem. Usually, the contractions in these situations are caused by consumption of certain substances, stress or insomnia and disappear with rest.

Can eyelid twitching be a symptom of other diseases?

Joyful eye tremor It can cause some complications for the patient’s health, especially if it is the result of more serious conditions, but such cases are rarer.

There are some symptoms that accompany and are indicative of these conditions, such as redness of the eyes, loss of eyelid control, and spasms affecting other areas of the face.

Patients who experience tremors for weeks in a row and have any of these other symptoms should see a general practitioner or ophthalmologist for an accurate diagnosis.

This is because frames like this can be the result of damage to the nerves or disorders in the brain itself. This applies, for example, to people with Tourette’s syndrome or Parkinson’s disease.

There may also be symptoms of other conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, facial paralysis, or dystonia – a disease that causes muscle spasms and twisting of certain parts of the body, including the head and neck.

How to prevent eyelid twitching?

Case eyelids flutter If it is a result of the consumption of certain substances, the best way to prevent it from occurring is to quit the habit. However, this relationship is not always easy to see.

A good way to identify these causes is, recording the moment when tremors occur and some questionable products are consumedIn most patients, the cause of this problem is usually caffeine, tobacco and alcohol.

Writing down the bedtime can also help those who want to know why their eyelids twitch. If sleepless nights are found to be causing this discomfort, better nighttime habits need to be adopted.

Going to bed earlier, avoiding cell phones or other screens, and creating a dark and quiet environment are techniques that have been proven to improve sleep quality and can put an end to eyelid twitching.

Only in more serious cases can specialists resort to medication or even surgery such as botox application. This treatment is common for essential blepharospasm, but it only temporarily resolves the problem.

However, most cases do not need treatment and disappears only with simple changes in habits. Learning to cope with stress, avoiding certain substances, and catching sleep can be more than enough to regain control of your eyes.