Having eyelid twitches or palpitations is 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 crosses your mind is, “Earth, swallow me.”
Even the eyelid continues to make this movement sporadically for days or weeks, and this can be very irritating. How do we stop? Should we worry?
Sign of neurological diseases?
If this happens to you, you may have eyelid myochemia, a harmless involuntary spasm. This can lead to stress or excessive caffeine consumption. In addition, it could also be the onset of multiple sclerosis, according to a study carried out by several centers in Barcelona A few years ago.
In this report, the researchers concluded that, despite the fact that eyelid myochemia is benign, when it persists over time, a neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis can develop. The treatment of these patients consists of eliminating triggers, such as consumption of caffeine, tobacco or alcohol, and if they become continuous and persistent despite this, an imaging exam can be performed to rule out underlying lesions.
The subject of this study was a 34-year-old woman who consulted her doctor about these abnormal movements in her right lower eyelid that she had been suffering from for two months. In the beginning, 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 stopped 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 this severe, and for most of them, it’s enough to change your habits. From others York University article in Canada confirms that to get rid of those uncomfortable eye twitches, you have to stop taking caffeine. For this experiment, the evolution of seven healthy young people was observed. Researchers found that caffeine promotes 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 having eye palpitations occasionally, but if the spasms persist, it’s best to see a doctor.
REFERENCES
Unilateral eyelid myocemia as a form of presentation of multiple sclerosis
Effect of caffeine on self-sustained burning in human motor units