Eyelid twitching is a symptom that, although not very harmful, can be very unpleasant. Most often, the causes are banal everyday problems: fatigue, excess stimulants, lack of specific microelements and vitamins.
Eyelid twitching is the result of uncontrolled short-term contractions of the orbicularis oculi muscle. It is located under the skin and physiologically causes the eyelids to close or shrink.
A muscle that usually works fully can contract only in a certain part during the disease, which subjectively creates the impression that only the upper or lower eyelid is moving, or that uncoordinated vibrations are occurring. Tremor can be caused by numerous local or systemic factors.
Causes of eyelid twitching
Eyelid twitching is essentially different from rapid blinking, and your doctor can usually differentiate between the two conditions. From a practical point of view, they can be considered together.
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Local causes of eyelid twitching are most often associated with various types of irritation, minor damage or inflammation of structures located near the orbicularis muscle and causing nonspecific reactions on its part.
Possible reasons include:
- dry eye syndrome,
- inflammation of the conjunctiva, cornea, eyelid margins,
- formation of barley.
The differential diagnosis should also include developing diseases of the iris or choroid. Stimulation of the symptom under discussion can also come from the sensory nerve, which is located near the eyelids and reacts incorrectly due to inflammatory changes, pressure or swelling caused by even minor trauma.
A separate group of causes of eyelid twitching are sleep disturbances (both quantitative and related to the rhythm of rest), overwork, stress or poor nutrition. These last three factors can also cause dehydration or electrolyte imbalances. These conditions affect neuromuscular transmission and may cause or worsen tremors in the orbicularis muscle.
Many researchers and doctors associate eyelid tremor with a lack of certain microelements and vitamins. They often cause simultaneous spasms of skeletal muscles, mainly of the lower extremities.
In such situations, the symptoms can become very bothersome, waking the patient up at night and making it difficult for him to function normally. Mostly magnesium deficiency, vitamin D3 deficiency and potassium-calcium metabolism disorders are noted.
In most cases, taking easily digestible magnesium supplements can significantly improve the situation.
Tremor of the eyelids in systemic diseases
Although the cause of this phenomenon is usually trivial and easily treatable, vibration of the orbicularis oculi muscle can be a symptom of serious diseases, mainly neurological in origin.
When differentiating the causes of chronic vibrations, the main factors take into account multiple sclerosis, facial paralysis, hemifacial spasm, dystonia (diseases of the nervous system leading to paroxysmal occurrences of involuntary movements) and Tourette’s syndrome.
Eyelid twitching can also have emotional causes. Occasionally it appears in people under the influence of strong experiences (stress, personal tragedy, threats), and chronically occurs in severe neuroses, especially with strongly pronounced vegetative symptoms.
All conditions that do not improve within a few or tens of days of standard treatment must be carefully diagnosed to exclude organic diseases of the nervous system.
How to deal with eyelid twitching?
The appearance of eyelid tremor should be a signal to systematize your lifestyle, correct your eating habits and temporarily eliminate deficiencies with the help of medications containing microelements and vitamins.
It should be remembered that taking supplements should only be a way to quickly eliminate the trouble associated with eyelid spasms, and not a method of constantly combating this problem.
The solution is to adjust your menu accordingly, increasing the content of vegetables, fruits and other elements rich in magnesium, potassium and vitamin D3.
Taking higher doses of these important ingredients should be combined with limiting or avoiding alcohol, coffee and smoking, as these stimulants are responsible for excessive excretion of micronutrients from the body.
Ensuring sufficient sleep, maintaining a correct and regular rhythm of work and rest, and eliminating stress also have a significant impact on the disappearance of symptoms.
You should see a doctor if eyelid twitching persists for a long time or becomes more intense, especially if it is accompanied by:
- eye symptoms (inflammation, visual disturbances, drooping eyelids),
- Cardiac arrhythmia,
- problems with the circulatory, digestive or urinary systems,
- constant muscle cramps.
In such a situation, a full diagnosis will allow us to exclude treat or diagnose an organic disease that is the cause of eyelid twitching. In the case of functional (neurotic) disorders, the advisability of psychotherapy should be taken into account, aimed, inter alia, at: eliminating their symptoms
