Why does my eyelid twitch?

You’re going about your day, everything seems normal and then it starts: the annoyingly troubling eyelid twitch.

Three types of twitches:

They are usually short-term and resolve themselves. They go as quickly as they came on and are often associated with many different causes. 

The other two types are essential blepharospasms and hemifacial spasms. Both are much less common than eye ticks and are often accompanied by other symptoms like facial paralysis or discharge. These two types of eye twitches require medical attention as they don’t usually resolve themselves. 

What is causing the twitch?

For most people, what they experience regularly could be described as an eyelid twitch or tick. It could be as simple as not getting your regular eight hours of sleep or just having too many cups of coffee. 

There might also be another cause for eye twitches, one which many of us can relate to. There’s some evidence to suggest prolonged screen time can lead to eye strain, causing a spasm. The same effect can be seen if your prescription isn’t right, needs an update, or if you have dry eyes.

Remedies and when should I be concerned?

The easy fixes are getting more sleep, ingesting less caffeine, and reducing screen time when possible. If you find yourself squinting frequently, you may want to consult your eye doctor to see if your prescription needs an update. 

Oh, you might like to consider bananas. There are some indications that eye twitches are worsened by a magnesium deficiency, which bananas are rich in. That being said, you would see faster results by sleeping more and drinking less caffeine than eating a banana. 

Lastly, if your eye twitching persists for more than 72 hours, is accompanied by discharge, or is affecting other parts of your face, then you should see a doctor.

Source: 1800contacts.com