EYELID TWITCHES: WHAT CAUSES THEM?

“Why is my eyelid twitching?” This is a frequent question heard by our eye doctors. Our patients usually report that a small area on one of their eyelids seems to be affected causing a noticeable movement. Sometimes it’s even visible to others.

Why does this happen?

• Stress: affecting all of us in some form or another, if we are under excessive stress our nerves will impulsively fire, triggering muscle spasms. The small muscles of the eyelid are especially vulnerable to stress-related muscle spasms.
• Fatigue: another form of stress, if we are sleep-deprived our bodies will be out of balance triggering our nervous system to respond in some cases.
• Caffeine or nicotine: both these stimulants make our nervous system more excitable.
• Dry eyes or other eye irritation: infections, allergies and inflammation make the eye more sensitive, often setting off muscle spasms in the eyelids.

Eyelid twitches are not harmful and most go away on their own after a few days or weeks. A cool compress several times daily is often helpful. If your eyelid twitch is so severe that you can’t open your eye, or if there are other symptoms such as redness, discharge, swelling or pain contact us immediately.