Eye Twitches: What Causes Them and How To Prevent

Last Updated: October 4, 2024

Sources

Have you ever experienced an involuntary muscle twitch of the eyeball or eyelid? These can be so brief that you don’t notice them, or if the muscle spasm lasts longer, can hang around for a few minutes or even days at a time.

The good news is, eye twitches have nothing to do with your direct eye health. But they do have root neurological causes. Eye twitches are not considered serious as long as they are a fleeting annoyance, but a persistent problem with eye twitches can be signs of a more serious underlying problem. You should consult a doctor if eye twitches become a persistent visual hindrance.

We have a bit more good news: Eye twitches can have a number of mundane lifestyle causes which are easy to treat.

Causes
Medical Issues
Treatment

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Common Causes of Eye Twitches

Before you get too worried about neurological causes underlying eye twitches, check if any of these lifestyle issues may be a culprit:

Lack of sleep – Sleep deficits are bad for the nerves and brain overall. Inadequate amounts of sleep can change hormonal balance and can alter the underlying excitability of muscles, making muscles more likely to twitch.
Stress – Stress can cause twitching due to the release of neurotransmitters, which help us control our muscles. Stress can affect our eyes in more ways than most people think.
Eye strain – Long periods of forced tight focus can wear down the muscles around the eye and the associated nerves. This can happen under conditions of glaring or dim light, extended periods of driving, intense reading, or digital screen use.
Caffeine – Caffeine wires you up, partly through interacting with the organic compounds we use to promote the flow of energy through our cells. It’s like if you ran excess charge through a battery or spark plug, only your muscles are now firing sporadically.
Drugs and alcohol – Various mind-altering substances also affect our muscle performance. This applies both to recreational drugs and prescription medication, which may have muscle spasms as a side effect.
Poor nutrition – Imbalances to our nutritional needs can be a culprit in spastic muscle performance. This includes the eye muscles, and in fact our nutrition plays an important role in eye health.

In addition, there are a couple of minor conditions which can effect the eyes and produce involuntary muscle twitches as a side effect:

Dry eyes – Dry eyes can make us uncomfortable, increasing eye strain and twitchy eye movements. This can be down to anything from dehydration to prolonged wear of contact lenses.
Allergies – Allergic reactions to dust, pollen, pet dander, and chemicals can produce eye irritation. Rubbing your eyes in response to the irritation can even trigger the release of histamines, which can also cause muscle twitches.

In short, you can address most eye twitch issues by taking a rest, taking a break from digital screen consumption, laying off the caffeine and other substances, and getting some quality sleep. Allergies have their own set of standard treatment options, while dry eyes may be alleviated with eye drops.

Eye Twitch Causes With An Underlying Medical Condition

Here again, most of the issues causing eye twitches have more to do with the body’s whole nervous system than the eye itself. While you should not jump to the conclusion that any of these conditions are present just from an eye twitch, persistent muscle spasms and twitches should call for a doctor’s consultation, especially if they present with other symptoms.

Autoimmune disorders such as Isaac syndrome
Metabolic disorders, including uremia, kidney disease, low potassium
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), AKA Lou Gehrig disease
Neuropathy or damage to nerve tissue
Spinal muscular atrophy
Myopathy (muscle weakness)
Hemifacial spasm (affects only one side of the face)
Parkinson’s disease
Meige syndrome
Bell palsy
Brain damage from inflammation, tumor, or stroke

In some cases, a doctor can approve Botox for treating facial spasms resulting from underlying medical issues.

Beyond that, at last we come to focus on conditions of the eye itself, which can cause eye and eyelid twitches:

Blepharospasm

This condition is a form of focal dystonia. When someone has blepharospasm, the eyelid muscles contract involuntarily. In most cases, vision is not impacted. The symptoms include eye irritation and frequent blinking. In severe cases, the eyelids may close forcefully when a contraction occurs. It is unknown what causes this condition. Botox is usually prescribed to treat the condition.

Blepharitis

This is eyelid inflammation. Blepharitis is characterized by eyelid redness and soreness as well as crusty eyelashes. Other signs of blepharitis include discharge, itchiness, and tearing. Ophthalmologists report that approximately 37 percent of their patients have symptoms of this condition at some point. Eye ointments and drops and eyelid scrubs are common treatments.

Uveitis

This condition is characterized by the uvea of the eye becoming inflamed. Signs of uveitis include eye pain, light sensitivity, reduced visual acuity, blurry vision, and red eyes. Steroids are usually prescribed to alleviate the inflammation.

Corneal abrasion

This condition involves a scratch on the cornea. Signs of corneal abrasion include pain, tearing, light sensitivity, grittiness, redness, swelling, and headache. It is important to receive prompt treatment from a doctor for this condition.

Treatment

The occasional eye twitch is nothing to be concerned about, if you note a certain pattern to it, e.g. after a long work shift staring at a computer screen, or after using alcohol. Most of the non-serious causes of muscle twitching can be treated with a lifestyle change or some R&R.

If your eyelid twitch is persistent and due to an underlying condition, such as blepharitis, you’ll need to see a doctor. Medications or other treatments will frequently be prescribed. If the twitching is prolonged, obstructs vision, or occurs along with other symptoms, it is important to see an eye doctor to determine the cause.

References

How to Stop Eye Twitching. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Eye Twitching. Mayo Clinic.
Blepharitis (Eyelid Inflammation). All About Vision.
Why do my muscles twitch? Ohio State University.
Muscle twitching. National Library of Medicine
Eye Twitching. Cedars Sinai.
Blepharospasm. American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.
Microvascular Decompression Surgery. University of Rochester Medical Center.

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