Introduction
Many people are familiar with the sudden onset of eyelid twitching, which is often perceived as very unpleasant and annoying. The twitching can last only a few seconds, but also several minutes. The causes for the twitching of the eyelid muscles can be very diverse, but usually it is harmless and there is no major illness behind it. Only in rare cases can a frequent occurrence be an indication of a disease, which must be clarified by a doctor.
Overview of possible causes of eye twitches
Eye twitching, or twitching of the eyelid, is caused by increased excitation of the muscles in the eyelid and around the eyes by overexcited nerves. Eye twitching can occur only on one side or both sides. In most cases the seizure stops after a few minutes.
As a rule, there is no serious illness behind it. In most people who suffer from eye twitching, the causes are Also overexertion of the eyes, for example by playing a lot of computer games, can lead to eye twitches. Furthermore, a massive consumption of caffeinated beverages such as coffee, cola or energy drinks can lead to eye twitches.
A burnout syndrome is also a typical cause. A further cause can be an increased sympathetic nervous system, for example in the heat of summer. In addition, increased sweating in the heat leads to an increased excretion of blood salts, for example magnesium, whose deficiency can lead to eye twitches.
Various vitamin deficiency diseases can also cause eye twitches. Only in rare cases is eye twitching caused by a serious illness, such as multiple sclerosis or a brain tumor.
- Nervousness,
- Stress,
- Lack of sleep or
- Magnesium deficiency.
Eye twitching occurs in most people due to stress.
It can occur quite involuntarily in stressful situations or develop into a trigger. For example, patients react to certain situations with a lot of inner tension and there are more frequent eye twitches, for example shortly before a speech is to be given to a large group. If there is an improvement in eye twitching as a result of rest and relaxation, it can usually be assumed that the cause was only an increased stress level.
It is best to spend the times of relaxation in the fresh air and not while playing computer games or watching television.
- What consequences can stress have?
- Reduce stress in everyday life
Wearing contact lenses leads to a constant irritation of the cornea. The long-term irritation can also lead to inflammation of the eye.
If the eye is irritated, for example by dirt or dryness, the body tries to clean and moisten the eye by blinking several times. The contact lenses could lead to an overactivation of the nerve fibers and to an increased blinking frequency. In addition, surrounding muscles can be activated and lead to muscle twitches.
If an inflammation occurs, patients should initially refrain from wearing contact lenses for a few days until the inflammation has recovered. As a rule, there is a reduction in eye twitching within a short period of time afterwards. If eye irritation does not subside within a few days, a visit to the ophthalmologist is recommended.
The same applies if there is a constant eye twitch when wearing contact lenses. Migraine is a type of severe headache, which is particularly attack-like and often occurs unilaterally. Often it is accompanied by loss of visual field (scotomas), paresis, nausea and vomiting during the attack.
Some patients feel certain precursors before the seizure. These may include the occurrence of eye twitches. Migraines in the area of the visual center in the brain are associated with increased symptoms of the eye, such as scotomas, flashes of light or eye twitches.
Eye twitching is not a typical syndrome in migraine, but it can occur. Another cause of eye twitching is a lack of vitamin B12 (cobalamin). This deficiency is usually caused by malnutrition, i.e. insufficient intake of the vitamin, for example in a strictly vegan diet or long-term alcohol consumption.
In addition, illnesses such as Besides it come in the pregnancy frequently to Vitaminmangel. Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the formation of myelin sheaths around the nerve cells.A deficiency leads to neurological disorders of sensory and motor functions (funicular myelosis). Muscle twitching and sensation problems can be the consequences.
Eye twitching is not a typical symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency, but can occur. A vitamin B12 deficiency can primarily be treated by a change in diet. Vitamin B12-rich foods such as fish, cheese and eggs etc.
should be consumed.
- Type A gastritis,
- Celiac disease and
- Crohn’s disease can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Eye twitching can also be caused by a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is an electrolyte of the body, which is responsible for impulse processing in nerve and muscle cells.
A deficiency leads to overexcitation of the nerves and consequently to muscle twitching, both in the eye and in other parts of the body. It also leads to magnesium, which is usually supplied to the body through diet. Insufficient intake of magnesium quickly leads to deficiency symptoms.
Pregnancy, increased alcohol consumption and chronic diseases can also lead to magnesium deficiency. The magnesium in the blood can be determined for diagnostic purposes. For treatment, patients should primarily change their diet and consume more magnesium-rich foods such as pulses, cocoa, spinach and nuts.
There are also tablets or effervescent powder to increase their magnesium intake. Iron deficiency is also often associated with eye twitching. However, muscle twitching is rarely associated with an iron deficiency.
More typical symptoms are tiredness, concentration problems and brittle nails.
- Muscle cramps,
- Tiredness,
- Vertigo,
- Headaches and
- Inner restlessness.
The definition of a psychosomatic illness is that there is a close connection between disorders of the body and soul. The occurrence of great mental stress can lead to the development of various physical symptoms, but these cannot be explained by any illness.
These include long-term family and professional conflicts, the loss of loved ones or a high level of stress. Since stress is one of the most common causes of eye twitching, the symptom is common in psychosomatic illnesses. However, before the diagnosis of a psychosomatic illness is confirmed, all other possibilities must first be excluded.
This may also be of interest to you: PsychosomaticsIn epilepsy there is a hyperexcitability of nerve fibers in the brain. In epileptic seizures, a typical picture with rhythmic twitches, loss of consciousness and convulsions occurs. There are different types of seizures.
In seizures, the muscle twitches can also manifest themselves as eye twitches. Often, however, the patient’s eyes are closed or half closed during a seizure. On the other hand, the mere occurrence of eye twitches does not directly give rise to the suspicion of epilepsy.
An injury or a herniated disc in the cervical spine can lead to different symptoms, depending on the location of the lesion. The sensitive nerve fibers that emerge from the spinal cord at the cervical spine are responsible for the skin sensations on the head. If pressure is now applied to the spinal cord at the level of the first or second cervical vertebrae, muscle twitching or sensory disturbances, similar to a tingling sensation, may occur in the area around the eyes.
Often, however, paralysis of the muscles occurs in the course of a slipped disc. Since the eye muscles are controlled by cranial nerves that emerge directly from the brain, the occurrence of eye twitches in cervical spine injuries is rather rare. Eye twitching is not a typical symptom of a stroke, but it can occur in rare cases.
A cerebral infarction leads to an undersupply of brain sections and thus to a longer lasting loss of brain functions. Typical symptoms are eye twitching is rather rare, more often it is an additional symptom, but its cause lies elsewhere.
- Vertigo,
- Loss of consciousness,
- Changes in the language,
- Memory loss and
- Paralysis.
- Vision problems can also occur if a stroke has occurred in the visual cortex.
Mutliple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, in which demyelination of nerve fibers occurs.This leads to a decrease in nerve conduction velocity and has a particular effect on the cranial nerves.
It usually occurs in relapses and leads to a variety of symptoms, the symptomatology depending on the part of the CNS where the lesions occur. In MS, various symptoms occur in the course of the disease, including those affecting the eyes, such as the development of double vision and ophthalmoplegia. Inflammation of the optic nerve and vision loss are among the early symptoms of MS.
The nerve damage can also cause eye twitches, but these are not typical symptoms of MS. It is much more likely that if the eye twitches on its own, there is a more harmless cause than multiple sclerosis. If several different neurological symptoms are present, MS should be excluded by a neurologist.
Both benign and malignant neoplasms in the brain can cause very different symptoms, depending on the location and extent of the tumor. The most common initial symptoms are headaches and epileptic seizures, as well as disturbances of consciousness and neurological deficits. However, eye twitching is rarely caused by brain tumors.
In some cases, the tumor presses on the nerves that are responsible for the muscles around the eye. This can lead to overexcitement and eventually cause eye twitches. An epileptic seizure can also be accompanied by eye twitches. However, the mere occurrence of eye twitches does not directly give rise to the suspicion of a brain tumor. If it occurs over a long period of time or together with other symptoms, a neurological clarification by the doctor and an imaging examination, such as an MRI, should be carried out.
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