Nervous eye tic

[cyndi_burr]

I seem to have had a left eye blinking tic and sometimes my right eye. It recently has gotten worse and I seem to blink with a tic in each eye very frequently now. MY eyes are really tired from it and my friends are noticing it now where they never did before. I am very concerned and would like to see a Dr. about it. What could cause this. It is like a nervous habit. I also pick my mascara off my eyes at night when I watch tv.

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

If you have a muscle twitch in the eyelid (myokymia) it is usually caused by stress, caffeine, lack of sleep and sometimes a local irritation.  Reduce caffeine and stimulants and get more sleep.  If you are blinking hard and uncontrollably you need to look into essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm as possibly diagnoses.

MJK MD

[yarrow]

Little blinking tics often show up when people are tired or tense.  Since you admit you pick at your mascara when watching tv, it sounds more like nervous tension than a serious problem with your eyes.  It probably would be a good idea to see your regular doctor to talk about these issues.  A couple of sessions with a good counselor, maybe a bit of cognitive therapy, and most of these issues would probably be solved for you.