Eyeball Twitching

Eyes are among the important sensory organs that provide us with vision. This complexly built organ is prone to many medical conditions. Among these, twitching is one of the most common eye conditions that many suffer from. Twitching is when the muscles around the eye area suddenly contracts and relaxes, which results into eyelid twitching. Another eye condition, though rare, is the eyeball twitching. Such an eye ailment could be better understood through learning the anatomy of the eye.

Anatomy of the Eye

Anatomy of the eye is complex to understand. Our eyes are constantly working from the moment we wake up till the time we go to bed. Throughout the day, it is constantly capturing information from the environment and helping you to visualize different objects. Wondering how the eyes help visualize the world around us? Let's take a look.

Optic nerve, retina, lens, sclera, cornea, pupil and iris are the parts of an eye. Our eye is designed in a manner that can well adjust the intensity of the light and make objects visible to us. Once the eyes adjust the intensity of the light, the lenses adjust to form an image. As the eye captures the image, it converts it into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. These signals travel through the optic nerve, which connects the brain and the eye.

Causes

Twitching or eyeball spasm is referred to as nystagmus. Such a medical condition causes sudden eyeball movements. This is mainly an unwanted movement of the eye and is uncontrollable. Nystagmus could be prevalent from childhood or it could even be an acquired disease. Nystagmus, is a rare medical condition and sometimes goes unnoticed during young age. Albinism, optic nerve hypoplasia, coloboma cataracts and aniridia are the eye diseases that causes the involuntary movement of the eyeball and weakens the vision. Nystagmus during childhood occurs in pendular motion and results from loss of vision. Other factors that cause eyeball spasms are stress and emotional condition.

Even certain neurological disorders, such as brain tumors or head injuries give rise to nystagmus. Nystagmus is noticeable, in case it occurs in later stage of life. The sudden movement of eyeball that causes disturbance in vision is referred to as Oscillopsia. A person affected by this ailment is likely to suffer from vertigo and feel dizzy. Occurrence of nystagmus in later stage, could be the indication of severe neurological disorder and therefore, require an immediate treatment.

Symptoms

Nystagmus or spasms in the eyeball is the side effect of different eye medical conditions. Therefore the symptoms vary according to the type and intensity of the disease. Following are the indications of twitching of the eyeball.

• Weak Vision: There are certain eye diseases, that weaken the eyesight of the person. Diminishing eyesight is among the main indication of developing nystagmus.
• Involuntary Movement of the Eye: The patient suffering from eyeball spasm may have difficulty in focusing on one object. The eyes rapidly move in horizontal, vertical and back and forth direction. The eyeball is constantly unsteady and forms blurred images.
• Null Eyes: A person suffering from congenital nystagmus can acquire a null position in the movement of the eyeball.

Treatment

To prevent any medical conditions, it is always better to recognize its symptoms and cure it the problem at the beginning. This is the first step towards treating any health problems. Nystagmus can be controlled by wearing spectacles or contact eye lenses. Eyeball spasm can be improved surgery or undergoing a prescribed medication course. There are botox and botulinum injections which are taken to bring down the intensity of twitching. The effect of these injections remain for a short period of time and have to be taken after every three to four months. Though these injections bring temporary relieve, it also brings certain side effects. Botox and botulinum injections can cause headache, inability in focusing the eyes, blurred vision, eyelid swelling, drooping eyelid and inability to close eyes.

There is no specific treatment for this problem. However, the factors that cause twitching, have different treatments, which can reduce the intensity of muscle contractions. This will bring some comfort and save you from falling into further complications.