Eyelid Twitch: What it is, Why it Happens, and How to Stop It
Have you ever been talking with someone and all of a sudden you start to feel your eyelid twitch? Or, you wake up after a long night of little sleep, down the espresso, and on your drive to work you start to notice your eyelid twitching? Or better yet, you are working endlessly on the computer and your eyelid starts to quiver?
Myokymia (Eyelid Twitch)
Well, the medical term for this is called Myokymia. Myokymia is the unilateral spontaneous, involuntary fascicular contraction of the eyelid muscles. It usually involves the lower eyelid muscle, but sometimes can affect the upper eyelid muscle. It can affect any person, at any point in time. In some cases, the twitching may persist for several weeks. An over intake of alcohol or caffeine most commonly causes myokymia. Fatigue or stress can also cause it.
How to Stop Eyelid Twitching
The condition will spontaneously resolve, however, some people may find the application of a warm water compress relaxes the muscle contraction. Otherwise, decreasing exposure to visual forms of eye strain (such as computers and television), decreasing the consumption of alcohol and caffeine, and getting adequate sleep are recommended.