Eyelid twitching is an involuntary blinking disorder. It is also known as an eye muscle spasm or blepharospasm. It occurs in millions worldwide and is quite common in older people. Twitching of eyelid is caused because of uncontrolled contraction of muscles.
Types Of Eyelid Twitching
There are three types of eyelid twitching, which are as following-
- Minor eyelid twitching: It occurs spontaneously . It is quite common and requires no treatment and disappears automatically. It is mainly related to fatigue and stress.
- Essential blepharospasm: It is a type of spasm where eyelids close involuntarily. It may last from few seconds to several minutes. In the initial stages, the person may experience winking, sporadic blinking or pinching of the face. During the later stages, the eyelids may close on its own accord and cause extreme blurred vision.
- Hemifacial spasm: It is a facial muscle spasm that affects only one side of the face. When a blood vessel on the facial nerve gets compressed, it results causes a hemafacial spasm. Mostly, the signs appear near the eye and then shifts down the face.
Causes Of Eyelid Twitching
Irrespective of the location of the eyelid twitching (lower or upper), the causes may vary from an injury, stress, to abnormal functioning of the brain. Some of the causes are-
- Inadequate sleep: one of the primary cause of eyelid twitching is lack of sleep or not getting enough sleep.
- Fatigue: Living a sedentary lifestyle or excessive working may result in fatigue. It acts as a trigger for twitching of eyelids.
- Stress: Several studies has shown that stress lowers life expectancies, weakens your immune system and leads to many psychological disorders. It is necessary to lower your stress level as it is also one of the main reasons for eyelid twitching.
Few more causes of eyelid twitching are as following-
- Computer/TV screens
- Vitamin deficiency
- Eye allergies
- Eye strain
- Medication
- Caffeine
- Benzo withdrawl
- Compressed nerve
- Neurological Disorders
