Ask a doctor: why is my eye twitching?

If you’ve ever developed an eye twitch, you’ll know how disconcerting it can be. But thankfully, according to ophthalmologists, that irritation is likely nothing to worry about.

“The medical word for eyelid twitching is ‘myokymia’ – uncontrollable muscle contractions in your eyelids that may be described as flickering, quivering or spasms,” explains Badrul Hussain, ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital. This is generally an isolated twitch that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days and is “usually harmless”.

Common triggers include being tired or sleep-deprived, stressed, having too much caffeine or alcohol, or having dry eyes. The release of cortisol in the body, or too much of a stimulant can trigger the nervous system, setting off a twitchy eye. So if you’re experiencing it, you might want to read it as a signal to slow down.

Mohammad Dehabadi, ophthalmic surgeon at OCL Vision adds that there are other causes for an eyelid twitch, but they are generally less common than isolated myokymia.

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“The next most likely instance is a more generalised, one-sided twitching of the face which can include the eyelids”, he says. “This is called a hemifacial spasm, and is caused by compression on the facial nerve on one side of the face, most commonly by a nearby blood vessel.” Facial nerve damage can be brought on by stroke, trauma, or an infection and affects about 10 people in every 100,000.

The least common cause of eyelid twitching is a condition called blepharospasm. “This affects both eyes, but can be asymmetrical, and is often slowly progressive. It can cause significant issues with daily life as it can make opening of the eyes more difficult.” According to the NHS the cause of blepharospasm is not known. However, it is usually more common in women than men, and affects people over the age of 50 and only affects about 10-100 per million people.

For reducing instances of myokymia, your best bet is to simply focus on the ways you can manage potential triggers: limiting your caffeine and alcohol intake, getting enough rest and trying to reduce stress. Staring at screens for long periods of the day is known to dry out the eyes – so consider reducing time spent on devices, too.

“If improving on the above doesn’t help or the twitching becomes constant, spreads to other parts of the face or there are other symptoms such as pain along with the twitching, you should discuss with your GP,” says Hussain.

Dehabadi echoes this. If your eyelid twitching is progressively worsening over a number of weeks, it affects more than just an isolated eyelid, or if it’s associated with any other neurological symptoms, he recommends consulting an ophthalmologist. “Hemi-facial spasm and Blepharospasm often need further investigation and specialist input from an oculoplastic surgeon to confirm the diagnosis, rule out any sinister causes, and to treat the patient in the long term.”