Introduction
Almost everyone knows it: a twitching eyelid. The involuntary twitches are also called fasciculations. Often the eye twitching disappears again by itself within a short time.
In most cases, a twitching eyelid is harmless and only rarely is it a sign of a serious illness. However, prolonged twitching can be very annoying and disturbing. The twitching is caused by the rhythmic contraction of the small muscles in the eyelid. Normally only one eye is affected by the twitching at a time, the occurrence in both eyes simultaneously is rather unusual.
What are the causes of twitching eyelids?
A twitching eyelid is caused by the sudden and involuntary contraction of the eye muscles in the upper lid. The nerves that supply the eye muscles send uncontrolled signals to the muscle, causing the eye to twitch. Everyone has benign muscle twitches, but normally we do not notice them as strongly in other parts of the body as we do on the eyelid.
This is because the eyeball is located directly under the eyelid and the twitching is therefore permanently visible. The causes of a twitching eye are very diverse. These causes are harmless and the twitching usually does not last longer than a few minutes.
Other possible triggers are
- In most cases, there are simply psychological factors such as stress, nervousness, overtiredness or an inner tension behind it.
- Also a mineral deficiency or
- Excessive consumption of caffeine can cause the twitching.
- Inflammation or infection of the eye, for example viral conjunctivitis
- Small injuries or foreign bodies that have entered the eye can also lead to a twitching eye.
- In rare cases, a serious neurological disease, such as multiple sclerosis or
- A tumor illness behind it.
Stress is the most common cause of eyelid twitching, besides a lack of minerals. The most common mechanism that causes eyelid twitching consists of chronic exhaustion and tiredness. This can be triggered by physical stress such as lack of sleep or illness.
Psychological stress factors such as pressure to perform, a stimulus satiation or even critical life events can also cause eyelid twitching. In general, various hormones are released in the body in stressful situations. These are supposed to make the affected person more efficient.
Stress becomes a problem when it exists over a longer period of time. The body permanently releases hormones which, for example, strengthen the thyroid gland function. Also the so-called sympathetic nervous system, which was supposed to prepare our ancestors to fight or flee, is activated by the stress hormones.
This leads to an increase in muscle tension and the nerve cells transmit signals faster. This can lead to small disturbances, which for example result in uncontrollable twitching of the eyelids. As a rule, the symptoms disappear when the stress level is reduced.
Excessive physical strain means stress for the body. During intensive sport, the muscles work at maximum capacity and overexertion can cause communication between nerves and muscles to be disrupted. As a result, the eye muscles twitch.
This is a completely harmless symptom that disappears completely after a short time when the body has relaxed and recovered. A lack of various substances can be the cause of eyelid twitching. Such deficiency symptoms are often triggered acutely by gastrointestinal diseases.
During this process, the body excretes many electrolytes (blood salts) so that the electrolyte balance is out of balance. Various electrolytes play a role in the function of the muscles (potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium), but in most cases a magnesium deficiency is the cause if there is an electrolyte disorder. Even a diet that does not supply the body with enough vitamins can lead to a deficiency that causes eyelid twitching.
Vitamin B (especially vitamin B12) is particularly important in this case. A deficiency occurs more frequently with a vegetarian or vegan diet. With a vegetarian diet, a deficiency of vitamin B12 can be prevented with good planning.
In a strictly vegan diet, vitamin B12 must usually be supplied in the form of vitamin tablets.Such vitamin deficiencies can also occur in metabolic disorders or organic diseases (liver or stomach). Eye twitching is often caused by the excessive consumption of caffeinated beverages, such as coffee. Caffeine causes an increase in the stress hormone adrenaline and thus has a stimulating and awakening effect.
However, too large amounts cause nervousness and increase blood pressure. Caffeine also additionally stimulates muscle activity. These factors favour the development of eye twitches.
The thyroid gland produces two hormones, the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. These hormones regulate the metabolism and thus have an influence on muscles, bone growth and physical development. If an overproduction of these two hormones occurs due to thyroid disease, this is noticeable in nervousness and muscle twitching, among other things.
This can also lead to twitching of the eye. This clinical picture is called hyperthyroidism or hyperthyroidism and can be treated well with certain medications (so-called thyrostatics or thyroid blockers). Sometimes it happens that the eyelid starts to twitch after sneezing.
This is a completely harmless phenomenon that requires no further treatment and usually disappears after a few minutes. If the nasal mucosa is irritated by a foreign body (for example a small dust particle), the stimulus is transmitted via the nerves through the brain to the spinal cord, where the signal for sneezing is finally generated. Through this process, the nerves that supply the eye muscles can be irritated and the eye begins to twitch.
Strictly speaking, contact lenses are a foreign body for our eye and can cause minor injuries (e.g. corneal abrasions). This irritates the eye and the muscles begin to twitch. Before inserting the contact lenses, you should wash your hands thoroughly, as this significantly reduces the risk of contact lens contamination.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease in which the immune system attacks and destroys the body’s own structures of the central nervous system. As a result, an autoimmune-induced inflammation develops. As a result, the nerves are less able to transmit signals and various types of failures occur.
The symptoms of failure depend on the area of the brain or spinal cord in which the inflammation is located. The symptoms of MS include numbness, visual disturbances and paralysis. In rare cases, a prolonged eye twitching can also be an indication of the presence of MS, but this is a rather untypical symptom.
Nevertheless, if the eye twitches very strongly or for a long time, a doctor should be consulted to clarify the cause. In very rare cases, a brain tumour may be behind a twitching eye. As the tumors grow, healthy areas in the brain are compressed and displaced, which can lead to a number of symptoms.
The characteristic symptoms of a brain tumor include headaches, visual problems, paralysis or speech problems. If the tumor grows in such a way that the brain nerves are affected, overstimulation of the eye muscles and twitching may occur. However, eye twitching is a very unspecific symptom that often has a different, harmless cause.
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