Muscle and facial twitches

Hello i am new to here! *waves*
I started getting facial twitches around 8 years ago, they have good days where they leave me alone, sometimes i rarely get them, and other times like at present they seem to be persistent and wont leave me alone. I don't know what it is but i would really appreciate some help on the matter. :)

When i get them i feel like im not in control of them (if that makes sense) almost like im a puppet and someone else is making me do it?

I think stress and nerves bring it on, as i do suffer from anxiety and other similar things.
I do at times get twitches in my eyes arms an various other body parts like other people, it just worries me that it could be something horribly worse like cancer or a brain tumour. But then again i do worry far too much about it.
i havent sought medical help about this, despite it happening for so, as i don't know what will become of it.

If there is anyway i can stop it happening it would be fantastic! as it is ruining things for me, in my work etc, sometimes i just don't wat to get up and face things incase people see me twitching. :S I'm only 24 so i don't want to keep letting it ruin my life.

Thank you very much for reading.

Aweeze

[Neuro Forum]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.

Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

Based on the description you provide, your face muscle twitches could be a variety of things. If they are just a ripple of twitching in various areas of the face, and in other parts of the body, one possibility is benign fasiculation syndrome, a condition in which there are involuntary twitches of various muscle groups, most commonly the legs but also the face, arms, eyes, and tongue. If the diagnosis is confirmed and other causes are excluded, it can be safely said that the likelihood of progression or occurrence of a serious neurologic condition is low. In such cases, the twitches may be related to anxiety/stress, caffeine, and often occur after recent strenuous activity or muscle over-use. It is important in such cases to reduce stress/anxiety levels and to reduce caffeine intake.

The possibilities could include a condition called blepharospasm, which is characterized by forceful eye closure of both eyes. If one side of the face twitches forcefully and involuntary, the contraction of your face may be due to hemifacial spasm, a type of muscle contraction referred to as segmental myoclonus. This is characterized by sometimes twitching and in worse cases forceful contraction of the eye, cheek, mouth, nose (sometimes only 1-2 of these, other times a combination of all of them). This occurs off and on but worsens over time and is involuntary. Hemifacial spasm can be due to an abnormality in the lower part of the brain called the brainstem or surrounding structures. However, in most patients, no MRI abnormality is found, and the cause in most people is thought to be due to dysfunction of the 7th cranial nerve with no specific cause found. The treatment often is with botox injections to medically paralyze part of the muscle. Hemifacial spasm is a clinical diagnosis.

Evaluation by your primary doctor with referral to a neurologist as indicated is recommended.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.

[aweeze]

thank you very much for your comment it was very helpfull! :) My twitches mainly tend to be i my head/ face area. I think it doesnt help that im conscious of it happening all the time, and think about it alot. I also get embarassed incase anyone else sees me it happen to me, if that makes sense.
I just dont know what to do about it other than go to the docs, which i dont really want to do, but still.