Your eyes are a vital part of how you see the world, so anything that protects it is important. Your eyelids help keep your eyes from being bombarded with foreign objects and bacteria, keep them moist and help remove debris that touches your eye. Many problems that affect your eyelids, such as twitching, are often minor and don’t present a permanent threat. The repeating involuntary spasms your eyelids may endure, may only last a short time. However there are some conditions that can affect your eyelids to be concerned about, and knowing the causes can help determine if you need to seek help, or wait for the annoying twitching to go away on its own. Let’s examine some causes of eyelid twitching, when you should seek help, and how it is treated.
If you live in the Houston, Texas area, and you’re dealing with the irritation of eyelid twitching, Dr. Justina Taube and the specialized team at The Elite Wellness Resort can help. We offer a variety of cosmetic services, and we specialize in eye-related procedures like brow lifts, flap surgery, and blepharoplasty.
Thankfully, your eyelid twitching is likely to be a temporary occurrence. You may experience this curious symptom without any identifiable cause, but it may also be the result of basic issues such as eye irritation, eyelid strain, lack of sleep, fatigue, physical exertion, stress, and use of alcohol, tobacco, or caffeine.
If the twitching becomes chronic, it may be due to a condition known as benign essential blepharospasm (a term indicating uncontrollable winking and blinking). It’s not fully understood what causes it, but the condition can affect both eyes and can be worsened by blepharitis (eyelid inflammation), conjunctivitis (pink eye), dry eyes, environmental irritants (air pollution, bright lights, wind), stress, and fatigue.
To calm the twitching on your own, try these tried-and-true remedies:
If those don’t help and you start experiencing symptoms like lid weakness, drooping, double vision, red eyes, light sensitivity, constant feeling of something in your eye, or a change in your vision, you should look for medical help in dealing with this problem. In rare cases, eyelid twitching can be a symptom of serious conditions, such as dystonia, cervical dystonia, Bell’s palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Tourrette syndrome.
For relief from spasms caused by conditions like benign essential blepharospasm, Botox® can be used on the muscles that cause the twitching. This can also be managed by a surgical procedure, called a myectomy, to remove the troubled nerves and muscles causing the condition. Blepharoplasty is another surgical option to remove excess skin, muscle, and fat if drooping eyelids are contributing to your eye problems.
Eye twitching is an irritating condition that may bother you for a few minutes at a time or last for days. But whatever the reason for dealing with it, we can help you get relief. If you’re suffering from eye twitching make an appointment with Dr. Taube and The Elite Wellness Resort today to get better.
