A common concern from our patients is that of a twitching eyelid. It is usually uncontrollable and is tough to ignore. The good news is that most of the time it is benign, meaning it is not a sign of a medical problem and it usually goes away on its own. There are three causes that are by far the most common culprits and these causes often work as a team. This is best illustrated by a specific time in my life.
When I started optometry school, my son was just three months old. School kept me very busy during the day and my son’s sleep schedule (or lack there of) kept me busy at night! To compensate, as exams approached I would enlist the help of my study buddy Mountain Dew to help me through my long study sessions. Sure enough, as each exam approached, I would find one of my eyelids would have many twitching fits each day. To me it seemed very noticeable but nobody else seemed to be able to see it.
I didn’t know it at the time, but the twitching was a result of the three most common causes of eyelid twitching:
1) Stress
2) Caffeine
3) Fatigue
[… in my life more specifically, 1) Exams, 2) Mountain Dew, and 3) my son’s sleep schedule].
The best way to get rid of the eye twitch is to address one of those three factors in your life. As you limit those factors, chances are your shaking eyelid will be limited as well.
Sometimes though, there can be other things contributing to the eyelid twitch. These include:
Dry Eyes – if the tears on the eye are not adequate, this can cause eyelid twitch and eye irritation. You optometrist can provide you with some treatment options if this is the case.
Eye Strain – if your eyes are being over worked or have an incorrect glasses prescription, this can contribute.
Allergies/Irritants – the eye can react to things in the air or in your eye which can lead to an eye twitch.
Very rarely, an eyelid twitch can be caused by a neurological condition. If you have any concerns about this, visit your optometrist (or feel free to come see me).
In short, the vast majority of eyelid twitches are not anything serious and to solve the problem, get some good R&R or visit your optometrist.
If you have any questions, email me at drbobchampion@gmail.com or find us on Twitter or Facebook.
