What You Should Know About Eyelid Twitching

The spontaneous twitching of your eyelids, also known as myokymia, is a pretty common occurrence. It can affect both the upper and lower eyelids, but usually just one eyelid at a time twitches. It’s often unnoticeable, and it usually comes and goes on its own. However, it could be bothersome once it lasts for weeks or even months. Here are common things that trigger this problem:

Stress and Fatigue

There are several factors that contribute to involuntary eyelid twitching. Stress and fatigue are some of the most common ones. Doing breathing exercises or spending time with friends can help relieve your stress and eyelid twitching. The same goes for getting enough hours of quality sleep.

Digital Eye Strain

Using your computers or smart devices for a long time can overwork your eyes, resulting in eyelid twitching. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every time that you have spent 20 minutes looking at a screen, look away for 20 seconds, and focus at an object that’s 20 feet from you. You can also ask your eye care center if they also provide computer eyeglasses.

Excessive Caffeine and Alcohol Consumption

Consuming caffeine and alcohol at high levels can result in eye twitching, too. So, try to cut back on your caffeine fix for some time or at least look for decaffeinated versions. It may be wise to abstain from drinking beer, wine or liquor as well and observe if doing so helps reduce your eye twitching.

Dry Eyes

Another common culprit of eyelid twitching is dry eyes. This is very common among individuals who use computers for long hours or those who are 50 years of age and older. If your eyes feel gritty, have your vision therapy provider take a look at them. We may recommend applying eye drops to help lubricate and hydrate your eyes.

If your eyelid twitching persists and starts to affect your eyesight, visit your eye care specialist as soon as possible. To learn more about eyelid twitching and what you can do about it, call us at (714) 486-3315, or fill out our contact form. We serve Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and the surrounding CA communities.