Eye Twitching Causes

Eye twitching is the involuntary spasmodic movement of the eyelid. Eye twitching, also known as blepharospasm, is normally repetitive and rhythmic in nature. Although not a serious disorder, it can be a very annoying and embarrassing condition to deal with. It is very rare that a serious disorder underlies eye twitching, as they are merely harmless contractions of the eyelid. However, before diagnosing a person with this disorder, it is best to first try and understand the various eye twitching causes.

Stress
So, what causes eye twitching? Stress is said to be one of the most common causes for eye twitching. When a person is under a lot of stress, then the person has a tendency to overwork himself, and one of the main organs that bear the brunt of this kind of mental exertion are the eyes. Thus, this leads to the eye muscles acting in an unexpected manner, which leads to eye twitching.

Physical Exertion
Excess amount of physical exertion, coupled with stress and inadequate rest leads to a lot of pain and discomfort for the eyes. This is especially seen in software professionals, who strain their eyes over a long period of time while working on the computer. This leads to fatigue and tiredness, which shows up as a puffy eyes and eye twitching. Furthermore, lack of adequate sleep is also known to add on to this problem.

Bad Habits
Excessive smoking is also known to not only cause tremors of hands, but one of the effects of smoking is eye twitching. This occurs due to the entry of toxins in the body which hampers the normal functioning of the muscles and organs. Excessive consumption of alcohol is also known to be one of the eye twitching causes.

Irritation to the Eyes
The entry of any kind of irritant on the surface of the eye can lead to eye twitching. This is because, as soon as the eye realizes that a foreign body is near its surface, it tries to protect itself, in which case, the twitching acts as a protective reflex response, so as to prevent any long-lasting corneal injury or damage. Eye twitching is also seen in cases of very dry eyes, as means to instigate the lachrymal (tear) gland into secreting tears, so as to lubricate the surface of the eyes.

Diseases and Disorders
It is very rare that eye twitching occurs due to an underlying systemic condition. However, there are certain instances wherein the eyes may twitch due to either an imbalance in the electrolyte or calcium levels in the body, as this can affect the functioning of any and every muscle in the body. Certain nutritional imbalances can also cause eye twitching. In some cases, people suffering from anxiety and phobias also get problems of eye twitching when the suffer from an attack. In cases of people suffering from epilepsy also may get eye twitching problems when they get an epileptic attack. Some nervous disorders may also instigate eye twitching, as can some severe cases of hemifacial spasms. Sometimes eye twitching may also occur in conjunction with temper tantrums that children throw. Some people also claim that eye twitching may also be hereditary in nature.

For those of you who are wondering as to how to stop eye twitching, it is best to first get the condition properly diagnosed, so as to rule out any major systemic disorder, and then proceed to treating the exact cause.