Why does the eye twitch and its treatment?

• October 11, 2018
• Neurology
• Vladimir Storozhenko

Many people know first-hand what eyelid twitching is. This sensation occurs suddenly and can last for quite a long time. For some people, eyelid twitching does not go away for several months, or even years. This situation requires attention. After all, such a symptom may indicate some pathologies in the body. Next we will look at why the eye twitches and what to do in such a situation.

Physiological causes of twitching

Why does the eye twitch and what should I do? Many people face this question at different times. Twitching of the eyelid causes multiple muscle contractions that occur involuntarily, against the will of the person. This phenomenon in medicine is called hyperkinesis. Eye twitching is also called a nervous tic.

Hyperkinesis can cause a lot of inconvenience to a person. Sometimes attacks last for several hours and do not subside for weeks or even months. It happens that a nervous tic lasts almost continuously throughout the day. This can frighten a person, because twitching of the eyelid indicates certain disorders in the body.

What can cause an eye to twitch? The main reason is a malfunction of the central nervous system. It is she who is responsible for muscle tone and contraction. This failure leads to the activation of muscle tissue, moving simultaneously in the area around the eye.

To get rid of a nervous tic, you need to determine the reason why it occurs. After all, this is not just a physical inconvenience. In some cases, urgent treatment is required. One of the common causes of such failures is constant nervous tension. It has a direct effect on the central nervous system. Some neurological and inflammatory diseases can cause twitching.

People who have suffered a traumatic brain injury may experience complications that manifest themselves as hyperkinesis.

Why does a child's eye twitch?

A nervous tic is an involuntary and uncontrollable contraction of skeletal muscle groups. This happens due to a disturbance in the conduction of impulses in the coordination and regulatory parts of the brain. Symptoms of this kind are often noted in children who are 3-11 years old. This is sometimes called the age crisis. At the same age, the child’s consciousness and thinking simultaneously changes. Therefore, try to ensure that during this period of the child’s growing up there are especially no conflicts and quarrels in the family.

A child's eye twitches in some cases after the child has had an inflammatory disease. Take your child to the doctor if eye twitching persists for several hours and does not go away after taking valerian and walking in the fresh air.

Other causes of twitching

If your eye twitches, what should you do in such a situation? In most cases, this situation requires consultation with a doctor. It is also worth paying attention to what reasons may cause such a situation. There are 8 main factors that provoke hyperkinesis:

1. Tired eyes. Reading in public transport or lying down, watching a movie in the dark for more than 2 hours in a row, or staying in front of a monitor for a long time lead to overload of the eye muscles. This is manifested by twitching of the eyelid.
2. Lack of sleep. If a person does not get enough sleep, his nervous system is in constant tension. This can lead to various diseases. One of the symptoms of such a malfunction is eyelid twitching.
3. Stress, neurosis. Stress can occur under the influence of a variety of factors. This could be a difficult life situation, drastic changes, including positive ones, even just a constantly flashing light at work. Neuroses are also a consequence of dysfunction of the central nervous system. This situation requires specialist consultation.
4. Dry eyes. When reading for a long time or working at a computer for a long time, dry eyes can occur. A person, being in front of a monitor or simply concentrating on something, begins to blink more slowly. As a result, the mucous membranes dry out. Therefore, you need to reduce your time working at the computer.
5. Taking antihistamines. Antiallergic and vasoconstrictor drugs can lead to the appearance of a nervous tic. This situation should be indicated in the list of side effects for the drug. Therefore, even ordinary drops for a runny nose can lead to hyperkinesis.
6. Caffeine, alcohol, consumption of sweets. Various hormonal problems, as well as in the gastrointestinal tract, gradually accumulate when consuming alcohol, sweets or caffeine. Of course, a nervous tic will not immediately start from drinking a cup of coffee. However, over time, adverse factors significantly affect our body. As a result, various malfunctions may occur, one of which may be a nervous tic.
7. Unbalanced diet. A lack of certain vitamins and microelements in the body can provoke the occurrence of hyperkinesis. This is especially noticeable with a lack of magnesium, calcium, and B vitamins.
8. Weakened immunity. This situation occurs after infectious diseases. This phenomenon will pass a couple of weeks after recovery.

Types of spasms

If the eye constantly twitches, in most cases a doctor's consultation is required. He will determine what type of pathology it is, determine the causes and prescribe the correct treatment. There are three main types of eye twitching:

• Spasms of the small eyelid.
• Hemifacial type of twitching.
• Essential benign blephospasm.

Many people are familiar with the feeling of an eye twitching for several days. What to do in such a situation? Most often, the cause of this phenomenon is stress, improper reading regimen, unbalanced diet, etc. This leads to a spasm of the small eyelid.

This type of twitching is usually harmless. It is not accompanied by painful sensations. When the unfavorable factor is eliminated, the twitching goes away within a few days or weeks.

The situation is much more complicated if a person’s twitching causes benign blepharospasm. Most often, this disease develops in middle age. Gradually it progresses. Moreover, the disease is diagnosed in women much more often than in men. The pathology begins with frequent blinking. Eye irritation is constantly felt. This is caused by fatigue, external irritants (for example, low-quality cosmetics), as well as stress.

When essential blepharospasm begins to progress, a person develops increased sensitivity to bright light, wind, and polluted air. Vision becomes blurry. Sometimes facial muscle spasms may occur. In some cases, the muscles become so tense that the person cannot open their eyes for several hours. It is a neurological disorder caused by several adverse factors.

Hemifacial spasm is diagnosed much less frequently. In this case, not only eye twitching appears. The tic also affects the muscles around the mouth. Spasms in this case are observed only on one side of the face. This pathology is caused by pressure from the arteries on the nerves of the facial muscles.

When should you see a doctor?

What to do if your right or left eye twitches? It is necessary to eliminate the factor provoking this phenomenon. You should contact a medical specialist in the following cases:

• The tic repeats continuously for a week or more.
• The eyelid twitches very strongly, which leads to involuntary closing of the eyes.
• The spasm affects not only the eyelid, but also other facial muscles.
• The eye turned red, swelling and discharge appeared.
• Vision has decreased.

In these cases, you should consult a doctor. The eye twitches for various reasons. Therefore, treatment should be carried out by a doctor of appropriate qualifications. To determine which specialist to contact, you should first visit a therapist. He will help determine the cause of the pathology, and then refer you to a specialized medical specialist.

If there is a suspicion that such a symptom is caused by disorders of brain activity or blood circulation, you will need to visit a neurologist.

If the eye becomes red, swollen or suppurated, you will need to visit an ophthalmologist. If visual acuity decreases, you should also consult an ophthalmologist. In addition, depending on the type of pathology that caused the nervous tic, additional consultation with the following specialists may be required:

• neurosurgeon;
• infectious disease specialist;
• psychotherapist;
• cardiologist;
• endocrinologist

Self-treatment may not only not give positive results, but also cause harm. Therefore, if certain symptoms occur, you should go to the hospital and undergo a comprehensive diagnosis.

Involuntary movement of the lower eyelid in other pathologies

Another popular reason why the lower eyelid of the left eye twitches is the disease nystagmus. With this disease, the pulsation of the eyeball can cause discomfort to a person. Fluctuations with such a problem may have a certain rhythm or speed. The patient only needs to try to concentrate on any object to feel an involuntary pulsation.

There are many factors that provoke the appearance of this disease. For example, it can occur due to drug or medication poisoning, damage to areas of the brain, or visual impairment. To establish the exact cause of its occurrence, you will need to consult a doctor.

Twitching of the lower eyelid can be bothersome with facial hemispasm. This pathology affects the cranial nerve, which leads to twitching of the facial muscles. Seizures occur regardless of the presence or absence of provoking causes. Involuntary movements can occur due to nervous shock, physical fatigue, or even conversation.

First aid

If your eye twitches a lot during the day, you need to do a number of exercises that will help relieve excess muscle tension. This will ease the condition by reducing the number of contractions. You can do relaxation exercises right at work. To do this, you only need to spend a few minutes of your time.

First, you should sit up straight or get up from your chair. You need to close your eyes and then take a deep breath. The eyes remain closed. This is followed by a slow exhalation. In this case, you should try to relax the muscles around the eyes as much as possible. Next, take a few more inhalations and exhalations.

After this, you need to close your eyes tightly and then open your eyes wide. After this exercise, the unpleasant symptom should go away. This procedure may be needed in an emergency, for example, before a photo shoot or an important meeting, interview, etc.

It is worth considering that such an exercise is effective, but only for a while. If the spasm appears again, you need to look for the cause of its occurrence. Only by eliminating the unfavorable factor can the problem be solved.

Treatment of eye tics

Malfunctions in the body are expressed through the first sign – a nervous tic.

In this case, it is necessary to take measures and follow the following recommendations, given that the state of health requires increased attention:

• Make it a habit to regularly perform a set of simple exercises to relax the muscles in the eye area. As you inhale, your eyes close tightly, and as you exhale, they open and widen. During a tic attack, the exercise is repeated up to seven times;
• use sedative herbal formulations or medications (drops or tablets) that eliminate neuroses;
• sleep 8-9 hours at night (it is advisable to go to bed early - before 11 pm);
• take breaks of a quarter of an hour every hour or two during the working day, alternating them with eye exercises;
• Avoid being near the TV or computer during spasms;
• avoid communicating with people who negatively affect your emotional state and cause anxiety;
• change your diet, strengthening it with a pharmaceutical complex of vitamins and products containing vitamin B, calcium and magnesium (watermelon, buckwheat, beans, bananas, dried apricots, nuts, hard cheese, fish, prunes, cottage cheese, sunflower seeds and whole grain bread);
• to walk outside;
• Use special eye drops to moisturize and relieve redness and tension.

Actions at home

If the eyelid twitches, immediate treatment should be started. Before contacting a specialist, you should follow a number of simple recommendations. In most cases, they help get rid of an unpleasant symptom without visiting a doctor.

You need to take a day off if your eye twitches all day. Treatment in this case involves rest. You need to get a good night's sleep. Most of the weekend should be spent outside. Under no circumstances should you watch TV or sit in front of a computer. It is also worth giving up reading on this day.

In the following days, you need to reduce your consumption of coffee or other tonic drinks as much as possible. Alcohol is contraindicated. Some people find that alcoholic drinks have a sedative effect. But in this case, alcohol will only worsen the situation.

Stress should be avoided. Of course, this is not always possible. But it’s still worth pulling yourself together and abstracting yourself from the situation at work, thinking about something pleasant. You can turn to gentle traditional medicine. They can have a calming effect on the nervous system. You need to monitor your emotional state. Strong outbursts of emotions, both negative and positive, are now contraindicated.

You need to perform special gymnastics for the eyes. This will improve blood circulation. The eye muscles will also become stronger. You should definitely include nuts, cereals, pumpkin seeds and whole grain bread in your diet. These foods contain large amounts of magnesium.

What to do if your eyelids twitch

To relieve accumulated muscle tension around the organ of vision, as well as relax the psyche, you need to reduce the stress load, give the body periodic rest by palming:

• Sit on a chair so that your back and back of your head form a straight line - this position maintains optimal blood supply to the brain.
• Shake your wrists several times to ease mental tension through relaxation.
• Rub your palms together to make them warm.
• Place the elbows of both hands on the table. Place your palms and closed fingers in the shape of a handful.
• Place your palms on your eye sockets so that your closed eyes are opposite the indentations in your palms.
• Cross the phalanges of the little fingers closest to the palm on the bridge of the nose like the temples of glasses.
• Place the remaining fingers, with the exception of the thumbs, on the forehead. Press your thumbs to your hands.
• Place the bases of the palms near the wrists on the cheekbones.

The palms should not fit too tightly; the eyelids should be able to blink freely. But no light should pass through the places where the palms touch the eye sockets. The hands are not tense, they just maintain the necessary tone.

With your eyes closed, imagine something pleasant that is not related to the production task or painful problem you are currently solving. Imagine something that gives you pleasure or makes you smile.

Perform an exercise to relax the psyche and rest the organ of vision whenever signs of fatigue appear or the eyelids begin to twitch. The duration and frequency of execution depend on the availability of free time and the level of mental relaxation that you want to achieve.

Compresses

In addition to the above actions, you need to apply compresses every day if your eye constantly twitches. This is an effective remedy for relaxing the muscles around the eyes. You need to apply cotton swabs soaked in ice water to your eyelids. This recipe is applicable only if there are no traces of conjunctivitis or inflammatory processes in the eyes.

Tea lotions are safer. Refrigerated brew will be required. It can be either black or green tea, preferably without artificial flavors. The tea leaves are wrapped in gauze and left in the refrigerator. When it cools down, the tea leaves are applied to the eyelids. The procedure lasts 10 minutes.

You can also make lotions from anise. Its seeds are poured with boiling water and left for 1 hour. Then the steamed grains are applied to the eyelids for 10-15 minutes. The decoction can be drunk instead of tea with honey. This calms the nervous system.

Treatment of myokymia with unconventional methods

Having found out why the lower eyelid of the left eye is twitching, you can move on to eliminating the problem using harmless but effective folk remedies. Various compresses and decoctions perfectly eliminate nervous tics.

To prepare a medicinal tincture you will need plantain, anise seeds and oregano. These herbs should be crushed, mixed and poured with hot water. You can also add lemon juice and honey to the broth. The mixture must be boiled for 10 minutes, then left to cool. All you have to do is strain the tincture; it is recommended to drink it before meals several times a day.

A geranium compress also works well for lower eyelid twitching. The green leaves of the plant should be chopped. The resulting paste is applied to the pulsating area, covered with a towel and kept for about 30 minutes. The procedure must be carried out for at least 4 days.

ethnoscience

There are many folk recipes that are used if the eye twitches. Traditional medicine knows how to get rid of such a problem. There are many recipes that have a calming effect on the nervous system. Medicinal plants are brewed as tea and drunk throughout the day.

You can make a decoction of chamomile, motherwort or chrysanthemum flowers. These medicinal plants are sold in every pharmacy. The packaging indicates how to brew such tea. You can take the indicated medicinal plants in equal parts and pour boiling water over them. When an hour has passed, you need to strain the product through cheesecloth.

Melissa, linden, and valerian effectively calm the nervous system. These plants are also taken in the form of teas. You can purchase ready-made tinctures at the pharmacy. They are drunk according to the manufacturer's instructions.

How to quickly eliminate a nervous tic?

If you know exactly why the lower eyelid of your left eye twitches, you can get rid of this ailment in a few seconds. To stop twitching caused by fatigue, you need to close your eyes tightly, inhale and exhale deeply, and then slowly open your eyes. As a rule, this technique helps to remove the pulsation of the eyelid, but for a while.

Treatment

If the eye twitches, more serious treatment may be required. By contacting a neurologist, you will need to undergo an examination. After this, the doctor will assess the severity of the failure and prescribe medication. The regimen includes many different drugs. They are chosen depending on the type of disease that caused the eye twitching.

Most often, patients are prescribed to undergo a course of physiotherapy and massage. Comprehensive treatment will help restore the functioning of the nervous system. Folk recipes will be ineffective in case of serious failures.

Solving psychological problems

Psychological trauma may explain why the eye twitches. What to do in this case? It is worth noting that drugs in this case will be powerless. If some situation does not give a person peace, he has experienced psychological trauma and cannot overcome its consequences himself, he needs to consult a psychologist. In this case, only the right therapy will help remove the cause of the nervous breakdown. You need to think positively. This gives inner peace.

Having considered why the eye twitches and what to do in such a situation, you can quickly get rid of not only the unpleasant symptom, but also the main reason that provoked its appearance.