Having eyelid twitching or palpitations is something very common and happens to many people, but should we be worried?
Imagine this situation. You’re talking to someone you don’t know very well, and suddenly the lid of one of your eyes starts to throb uncontrollably. You don’t know what to do or what to say. Do you think the other person might be thinking, “Is he winking at me?” And the next thing that goes through your head is, “Earth, swallow me.”
Even the eyelid keeps doing this movement sporadically for days or weeks, and it can be very uncomfortable. How do we stop? Should we be concerned?
Sign of neurological diseases?
If this happens to you, you might have eyelid myokymia, a harmless involuntary spasm. It can lead to stress or drinking too much caffeine. In addition, it can also be the beginning of multiple sclerosis, according to a study carried out by several centers in Barcelona It’s been a few years.
In this report, the researchers concluded that while eyelid myokymia is benign, when it persists over time, a neurological pathology such as multiple sclerosis can develop. The treatment of these patients consists of eliminating the triggering factors, such as the consumption of caffeine, tobacco or alcohol, and if, despite this, they become continuous and persistent, an imaging exam can be performed to rule out underlying lesions.
The subject of this study was a 34-year-old woman who consulted the doctor for these abnormal movements in her right lower eyelid that she had been suffering from for two months. At first they were occasionally during the day in episodes that lasted from minutes to an hour, but in the following weeks they increased in frequency and intensity until they became continuous throughout the day. Doctors administered a treatment with an anticonvulsant that had to be withdrawn quickly because it caused a rash. After several months of testing, the woman was finally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
How to fix eye tics
Fortunately, not all cases are so serious, and in most cases it is enough to change your habits. From others York University article in Canada confirms that to get rid of those uncomfortable tics in the eye, one needs to stop caffeine. For this experiment, the evolution of seven healthy young people was observed. The researchers found that caffeine promoted the release of excitatory neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine because it is a stimulant and increases the reactivity of muscles and nerves. By eliminating this stimulant, the symptoms disappeared.
In general, we shouldn’t worry about occasionally having eye palpitations, but if the spasms persist, it’s best to see a doctor.
REFERENCES
Unilateral eyelid myokymia as a form of presentation of multiple sclerosis
Effect of caffeine on self-sustained firing in human motor units