Eye twitching is a very common condition that almost every person would experience at least once or a few times in their life. It is rare for a person to have never had a twitching eye or eyes. You may have both eyes twitching at the same time or one. Eye twitching happens regardless of age, lifestyle, gender and other medical conditions. However, there are cases where age, lifestyle and medical history do play a role in causing your eye to twitch.
Eye twitching can be caused by something as simple as dust or foreign particles that can enter your eye and irritate it. The condition of eye twitching is characterized by a consistent involuntary closing of your eyelids. In mild cases, your eyelids would close and reopen instantly. In some serious cases, the eyelids may close and it may be a few moments before they open again. You might experience eye twitching once or a few times on a day but that usually subsides. It is uncommon for anyone to experience consistent eye twitching over several days or months. However, that is possible in chronic conditions where the problem gets worse with time.
Eye twitching is medically known as blepharospasm. It is usually of three types – minor eye twitch, benign essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm. The three types of eye twitching have different symptoms and have different causes.
Fatigue, stress and caffeine are very common causes of eye twitching. These factors may cause your eyes to twitch for a few seconds to a few minutes but would eventually subside on their own, without any medication or medical intervention. Dry eyes, sensitivity to light, pinkeye and blepharitis which is eyelid inflammation can also cause eye twitching. Blepharitis is a common condition where tissues inside the eyelids get inflamed and that directly cause your eyes to twitch.
Dystonia, Bell’s palsy, Parkinson’s disease and Tourette’s syndrome can also cause eye twitching. There are many lifestyle factors which can either directly cause your eyes to twitch or contribute to the condition. Such factors are smoking or smoke from any source that you are exposed to consistently, alcohol consumption and certain medications that have a side effect of irritating your eyes or drying them up.
Many people are allergic to dust, wind or other foreign particles which can cause twitching eyes. Air pollution, pollens and infections can also be the causes in some cases.
