For about the last three weeks, my left eye has been twitching.
I’ll be typing away and all of a sudden, I’ll feel that telltale muscle spasm or nerve jump or whatever it is, and it’s like a butterfly beating its wings on my eyelid.
It seemed I should be lurking in the shadows in some horror movie with my ax in my hand, my left eye spazzing of its own accord, a subtle signal of my evil intentions.
I figured it must have something to do with the fact that I haven’t been getting much sleep. Between a burgeoning project load, frequent power outages, a full-on writer’s conference, and a recent health problem in the family, it’s not a surprise.
My body is just reacting to the excess load.
But then I saw a tweet in my timeline from another fellow writer suffering the same thing. People seemed to have all sorts of ideas about what might be causing it. I thought it was lack of sleep. Others thought it had something to do with nutrient deficiencies. Or could it be it was time for a trip to the eye doctor?
This obviously wasn’t an isolated problem, so I decided to dive into it. What causes eye twitching anyway? Is it a sign something else is going wrong? Is there any way to get it to stop?
What Are Eyelid Spasms?
Also called eye spasms, eyelid twitching, eyelid tics, or “myokymia,” these annoying distractions are caused by the small muscles and nerves around the eye. Just as you may experience an involuntary muscle spasm in your elbow or knee, you can also experience it in the eyelid.
The good news is that it’s a common occurrence. We can all rest easy knowing there usually isn’t anything too serious going on.
There are a few exceptions, and these concern neurological conditions like:
- blepharospasm—a gradually increasing twitching in both eyelids that becomes sustained and forced, and can eventually lead to near blindness, and
- hemifacial spasm—an involuntary twitching on one whole side of the face, usually caused by compression of one of the facial nerves.
Both of these problems are rare, and involve spasms in more than just one eyelid. Once in a great while, eyelid spasms may be early signs of other neurological disorders, including Bell’s palsy, dystonia (movement disorder), Parkinson’s disease, and Tourette syndrome, but this is highly unlikely in most cases.
Note: If you notice other symptoms, like muscle spasms in your face, redness or swelling in the eye, a discharge from the eye, or if your eye completely closes when it twitches, be sure to see your eye doctor right away.
If you have just the one eye twitching, though, and no other symptoms, most likely you’ve got a common condition and you don’t have to worry too much about it. Usually the spasms go away on their own in a few weeks, though they can continue on for months.
No matter how long the twitching lasts, however, you’d be wise to figure out what’s causing it. Even though it’s not serious, it’s telling you that something’s not quite right. If you fix it now, you’ll be more likely to avoid more serious problems down the road. Ignore it, and your body may up the ante next time with a more painful or inconvenient warning sign.
7 Causes of Eyelid Twitching
How do you know what’s causing your eyelid to twitch? You’ll have to do some detective work. Even doctors and scientists aren’t really sure. Since it’s not a serious condition, we don’t have many studies on it, but most eye doctors have a good idea what may be behind it.
Look over the following list. Likely you’ll notice one or more factors that contributed to your spastic eyelid. Once you know the cause, you can take steps to eliminate it, so your eyes look and act more normal in the future!
1. Stress
Have you suffered more stress than usual lately? Dr. Monica L. Monica, M.D., clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told Shape magazine that stress is the number-one reason for a twitchy eye.
“Your body is telling you that you are stressed or tired,” Jeffrey Cain, M.D., told Real Simple magazine.
Stress releases hormones in the body that prepare it for fight or flight—and also cause muscle arousal, which may affect your eyelid muscles. Something’s troubling you, you’re going through a rough week (final edits due!), or you’re not sleeping well. Get over the hump, and then take a couple days to recover, and the twitching will likely go away.
2. Fatigue.
Have you been getting your 7-8 hours of sleep every night? Or have you been putting in the extra hours at work—or on your novel? If you’ve had a lot of late nights recently, that’s probably why your eye is complaining.
“Research has shown a correlation,” Dr. Wayne Cornblath, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center, told Time magazine, “and we know that getting more sleep can help, but we don’t know why.”
It makes sense that fatigue could be involved. Think about how fatigue affects the other muscles in your body. You’ve probably experienced spasms in your legs or hands when they were tired or overworked. Same idea, here. Focusing requires work for your eyes, so the more you’ve been requiring them to focus, the more likely they are to be fatigued.
3. Dry eyes.
For those of us who work on the computer a lot, this is a big one. (Read more about computer eye syndrome here.) Staring at the screen all day actually dries out your eyes. Scientists have discovered that working for more than 7 hours a day at the computer reduces the natural lubricants in tears, resulting in dry eyes. In fact, those who have been diagnosed with dry eye syndrome are more likely to suffer from eye twitching, too.
“Though a lot of people think that twitching eyes are caused by stress or fatigue,” says TV’s Dr. Oz, “the real hidden cause is dry eyes. When eyes are too dry, you involuntarily start blinking to keep them moisturized. After awhile, the blinking triggers your nerves and tricks the brain into making your eyes twitch even more.”
Use your eye drops more often, look away from the screen at least once every 20 minutes, and check with your eye doctor.
4. Eyestrain.
This is different than dry eyes. Eyestrain is caused by your eyes having to work too hard to focus. This could be the result of bad lighting (avoid overhead fluorescent lights), straining to see words on the screen that are too small, or failing to wear your glasses.
If you haven’t been to the eye doctor in over a year, it’s time to go. Your eyes could have changed, and if you don’t get your prescription updated, they will continue to struggle to focus while you work.
Look into your lighting, as well, and see if you can improve it, particularly in areas where you spend a lot of time working on the computer or reading or doing other focused work. (Find tips on lighting here.)
5. Allergies
You already know that allergies can cause symptoms like dry, itchy, watery eyes. Allergens can irritate the eyes in general, which can encourage twitching. If you rub them, you can release histamine into the lid tissues and tears, and histamine has been linked with eye twitching.
Try taking an antihistamine, and you may also want to try some of the anti-allergy eye drops that are out there. Just be sure to avoid those with anti-redness activity, as they can damage the blood vessels in your eyes over time. Get some regular tear-like eye drops as well, as antihistamines can dry out the eyes.
6. Nutritional imbalances.
There are a couple of possibilities here. First, make sure you’re getting enough water. Even a mild dehydration can lead to dry eyes, which can then encourage eyelid twitching.
Next, ask yourself if you’ve suffered the stomach flu or related digestive ailment lately. Vomiting and diarrhea can lead to an imbalance of electrolytes in the body, which are key to proper muscle functioning. If this describes your situation, down a sports drink and see if that helps.
It could also be that you’re not getting enough vitamin B, particularly vitamin B12. Even if you’re just slightly low, your muscles and nerves can suffer. Food sources include fish, poultry, meat, eggs, and dairy. Keep in mind that you’re more likely to be deficient if you’re a vegan or vegetarian (you may want to consider supplements), or if you’re over 65 (we don’t absorb vitamin B as well when we age).
7. Caffeine
Too much can be a trigger for eye twitches. Research from York University showed that caffeine triggers the release of serotonin and noradrenaline—excitable chemicals that may be stimulating the nerves to induce eyelid spasms.
Tips to Help Calm Your Eyelid
If you’re not bothered by the butterfly in your eye, you probably don’t have to worry too much. Wait it out for a few days, and it will probably go away.
If your eye has been carrying on for a while, though, and you’re sick of it, here are a few things you can try:
- Hot and cold compresses: Since the twitch is caused by a muscle, these may help it to calm down. Start with the warm compresses first, particularly before bed. If your eyelid is still switching, try alternating warm with cold, placing each one on the affected eye for about 10 minutes.
- Acupuncture/massage: If you are a fan of acupuncture, tell your practitioner about your twitch. He or she may have a solution. You can also massage acupuncture points on your own. Simply press your fingers against your eyebrows and massage in a circular motion for a few minutes to help relax the muscles. Then move to the outside of your eye, underneath the eye, and on the inside corner. Be gentle.
- Reduce stress now: Try playing some relaxing music, take a walk, call a friend, or simply focus on a pretty picture on the wall. Get your mind away from what’s stressing you and into a quieter place. Yoga, meditation, and journaling may also help.
- Cut back on caffeine: I know how much writers love their coffee, but if you’ve been indulging in a few too many cups lately (count your soda, too), then you may want to cut back to give your system a break. Don’t forget to count other potential sources of caffeine, including some pain relievers and energy drinks. Want an alternative? Try tonic water—there is some anecdotal evidence that it can help relax muscles because of the quinine in it. (People often use it to calm leg cramps, for example.)
- Go to bed earlier: If you suspect a lack of sleep may be causing your eyelid spasms, try going to bed 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. It’s the best way to catch up—sleeping in can actually leave your eyelids feeling heavy and fatigued.
- Face steam: This will not only help calm and hydrate your eyes, but will also open and clean your pores—bonus facial benefit. Simply put some steaming water in a bowl, cover your head with a towel and let the steam warm your face. If you’re suffering from allergies or dry eyes, try adding some essential oils like eucalyptus, lavender, and rose.
Have you suffered from a recurring eye twitch? Did you find a solution? Please share your story.
Sources Kate Rope, “Why Does My Eye Twitch?” Real Simple, http://www.realsimple.com/health/preventative-health/why-does-my-eye-twitch.
“Eyelid twitch,” National Institutes of Health, September 2, 2014, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000756.htm.
Charlotte Hilton Andersen, “Eye Twitch: What Causes It and How to Make it Stop!” Shape, May 23, 2013, http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/eye-twitch-what-causes-it-and-how-make-it-stop.
Christine Walton, et al., “Effect of caffeine on self-sustained firing in human motor units,” The Journal of Physiology, December 2002; 545(2):671-679, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/jphysiol.2002.025064/full.
Markham Heid, “You Asked: Why Does My Eye Twitch?” Time, February 4, 2015, http://time.com/3693796/why-does-my-eye-twitch/.
“What Causes Frequent Eye Twitch?” ShareCare, http://www.sharecare.com/health/brain-nervous-system/what-cause-frequent-eye-twitching.