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Eye Care (Expert Forum)
Twitching of eye
Answered by
John C Hagan III, MD, FACS - Ophthalmology
Discover Vision Centers
Kansas City - MO
Our Ask A Doctor Ophthalmology Forum is where you can post your question and receive a personal answer from physicians affiliated with the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Twitching of eye
by MK33, Aug 11, 2007 08:21AM
I'm 51 years old and am presbyopic. Generally fit and in good health except for borderline high cholesterol (my HDL is high, triglycerides reading is very good, but my LDL is too high).
For a few days last week, my right eye twitched occasionally (ie, once a day) but that has stopped. Now, my left eye started twitching (ie, 10 times a day) for the past few days.
Any significance between right eye Versus left eye twitching? Why am I twitching pls?
Thank you.
For a few days last week, my right eye twitched occasionally (ie, once a day) but that has stopped. Now, my left eye started twitching (ie, 10 times a day) for the past few days.
Any significance between right eye Versus left eye twitching? Why am I twitching pls?
Thank you.
Doctor's Answer
by John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, Aug 11, 2007 12:26PM
, Aug 11, 2007 12:26PM
Twitching eyelids drive a lot of people bonkers. It's called myokymia and is virtually never a sign of a serious problem. It represents an irritable eye muscle, usually the orbicularis, the circular muscle that shuts the eyelids. It's like a twitch of muscles elsewhere in the body. Sometimes it it more common in high caffeine users.
Like the hiccups there is no sure cure for it and lots of things are tried including warm compresses, pressure on the lid with the finger, resting, not resting and getting busy to take your mind off it and any number of over the counter eye drops.
It doesn't last forevery but sometimes seems it will. Most cases go away in several days, several weeks or several months. It can reoccur.
Myokymia is different that facial spasm and blephrospasm in which the face or eyelids have huge contractions that shut the eye or distort the face. Those require an evaluation by an ophthalmologist or neurologist.
If you have not had a comprehensive medical eye examination in the last 18 months with an Ophthalmologist it would be a good idea to schedule one.
JCH III MD Eye MD
Like the hiccups there is no sure cure for it and lots of things are tried including warm compresses, pressure on the lid with the finger, resting, not resting and getting busy to take your mind off it and any number of over the counter eye drops.
It doesn't last forevery but sometimes seems it will. Most cases go away in several days, several weeks or several months. It can reoccur.
Myokymia is different that facial spasm and blephrospasm in which the face or eyelids have huge contractions that shut the eye or distort the face. Those require an evaluation by an ophthalmologist or neurologist.
If you have not had a comprehensive medical eye examination in the last 18 months with an Ophthalmologist it would be a good idea to schedule one.
JCH III MD Eye MD
I had an interesting version of "right versus left": for weeks, whenever I would in any way disturb the muscles around my eyes--such as by opening my eyes wide, squeezing them shut, or just running my hand over my face like you do when you're tired--a muscle ABOVE my LEFT eye would start to twitch, and two seconds later a muscle BELOW my RIGHT eye would begin to twitch! This happened like clockwork.
Some people get a lot of twitches in different places (arms, legs, wherever) and no one knows for sure why; it's just a benign thing. The eye seems to be far and away the most common place. Just try to ignore it as best you can.
Nancy T.