What Causes Eye Twitching?
Eye twitching, which has many different meanings among the public, is often not considered a disorder. Although eye twitching usually occurs due to reasons such as stress, insomnia and physical fatigue, in some cases it can also be a symptom of different eye diseases and other health problems. If eye twitching, which is characterized by involuntary contraction of the eyelid for a period of time, continues for a long time, is disturbing to the person, or is repetitive, a little more caution should be exercised. In the presence of such complaints, it is recommended that the person consult a physician and have a health screening.
What is Eye Twitching?
It is a disorder that occurs when the muscles in the eyelid contract suddenly, involuntarily and spasmodically. Contractions in the eyelid mostly occur in one eye and the upper eyelid. These contractions, defined as right eye twitching or left eye twitching, are generally mild. Eye twitching, which causes discomfort to the person, is described by patients as eyelid pulling. Twitches in the eyelid occur every few seconds.
This situation, which can be repeated many times during the day, can continue for weeks or even months in some cases. Eye twitching rarely occurs in both eyes. This bilateral twitching is called blepharospasm and is an uncomfortable condition. Twitching in one or both eyes may be accompanied by involuntary contractions in other parts of the face. These types of complaints can also be seen as preliminary symptoms of different health problems. Therefore, in the presence of such complaints, the person should definitely consult a doctor and have their health checked. Another frequently asked question is “What causes eye twitching?” It is in the form.
What Causes Eye Twitching?
Eye twitching can be defined as an involuntary and repetitive slight movement of the muscles in the eyelid and around the eye along with the skin. Although it is not fully understood why eye twitching occurs, it is thought to occur as a result of a combination of several factors or to occur for no reason. Since eye twitching is usually a temporary condition, it does not affect the person’s quality of daily life. Severe eye twitching may develop due to different disorders or may occur as a symptom of a different underlying disease. Some of the factors that frequently cause eye twitching can be listed as follows:
- Insomnia: People with disturbed sleep patterns or who have not slept enough may experience eye twitching due to the inability to rest the eyes and the muscles around the eyes.
- Stress: Stress, which can cause different body reactions in each person, can cause eye twitching in some people. It is a common situation in students preparing for the exam.
- Fatigue: In addition to physical fatigue, eye fatigue is also among the causes of eye twitching.
- Eye infections: It may occasionally cause eyelid twitching as a reaction to existing infections in the eye.
- Visual defects: Undiagnosed eye defects such as hidden hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism can cause eye twitching. In this case, correcting the existing defect may reduce the complaints.
- Eye allergy: Contact with the eyes of antigens that a person is allergic to may cause itching, burning and stinging complaints as well as twitching in the eyes.
- Dry eyes: Dry eyes, which occur due to reasons such as advancing age, using contact lenses or looking at the screen for a long time, can lead to eye twitching.
- Looking at bright light: Constantly being under bright light or looking directly at the light source can cause eye twitching in some people.
- Excessive caffeine consumption: Too much caffeine is thought to cause eye twitching.
- Irregular nutrition: Many vitamin and mineral deficiencies may occur in the body due to irregular and unbalanced nutrition. A balanced diet can help eliminate eye twitching.
- Vitamin D deficiency: Lack of vitamin D, which helps calcium absorption, in the body may cause eye twitching complaints.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency: Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause twitching of the eye muscles, as well as many health problems.
- Side effects of some medications: Eye twitching may occur as a side effect of some medications. In such cases, a change of medication may be requested by consulting the physician.
Eye twitching is also common in the presence of eye fatigue. Especially reasons such as spending time in front of the television or computer for a long time, or reading books in inappropriate light cause the eyes to get tired quickly. This condition is also called computer vision syndrome. Eye twitching may rarely occur as a symptom of neurological diseases. If you have complaints of eye twitching that does not go away for a long time and increases in severity or frequency, it is useful to consult a healthcare provider to clarify whether it is a simple eye twitch or whether there is another underlying problem.
How to Treat Eye Twitching?
Eye twitching often occurs due to factors such as malnutrition, insomnia and stress. All these factors can cause many different health problems besides eye twitching. Regular sleep is a must to prevent eye twitching. Sleeping 7-8 hours a day allows eye muscles to rest as well as all body muscles.
Regular nutrition also plays an important role in the healthy performance of the body’s functions. A balanced diet provides the vitamins and minerals the body needs. Another factor in preventing eye twitching is to reduce stress levels. Coping with stress or staying away from intense stress helps prevent eye twitching as well as many diseases. Limiting the consumption of tea, coffee and carbonated drinks can also prevent eye twitching.
Eye twitching often goes away on its own within a few days or weeks. While such cases do not require intervention, in cases of eye twitching that lasts longer than a few weeks, a healthcare provider should be consulted to investigate the cause of the twitching. Severe and prolonged bilateral twitching, such as blepharospasm, can be treated.
With treatment, the patient’s life comfort increases. In light of all this information, the patient with eye twitching should be carefully evaluated by the physician and monitored, examined or treated according to the current situation. If deemed appropriate, laboratory tests and radiological imaging examinations may be performed on the person. When necessary, follow-up and treatment can be provided by reaching a common conclusion through joint evaluation of many specialist physicians.
