A Thorough Guide To Eye Nerve Twitching
Blepharospasm is involuntary eye nerve twitching. This term applies to any type of involuntary eye twitching or abnormal blinking that are caused from uncontrolled contractions of any of the muscles that surround the eyelid. Some people experience eye nerve twitching underneath their eye while other people experience it on top of their eyelid or in one eye or the other. Simply put, it is a blinking disorder.
Benign essential blepharospasm is one type of eye nerve twitching that has no known causes but is not life threatening. Other types are associated with neurological problems or dry eyes. People that have blepharospasm usually have normal eyes so disturbances that affect their vision will force them to close their eyes. Benign essential blepharospasm is often confused with ptosis but they are not even related. Ptosis is actually a condition where your eyelid droops due to paralysis or weakness of the upper eyelid's muscle. Minor eye nerve twitching generally does not generally worsen so if your does, it is important to see an eye care professional.
Quite often, blepharospasm begins with excessive or abnormal blinking, often accompanied with eye irritation. Usually in the beginning, the excessive blinking occurs when you are exposed to exceptionally bright lights, if you are under stress or extremely tired. Eye nerve twitching often increases as the day goes on and sometimes sleep resolves the twitching so even taking a nap can often help. As the condition becomes more frequent throughout the day, the spasms usually get stronger and can result in the eyelid having to stay shut for awhile before you can see clearly again without interference.
For most people, eye nerve twitching is just annoying spasms that usually just goes away. When spasms twitch only on one side, they are called hemifacial spasms. Typically, they are due to an artery that is pressing against the nerve in the facial muscles and causing irritation. If you have eye nerve twitching of this type, your doctor will probably refer you to an eye care professional or a neurologist to determine the underlying cause and proper form of treatment.
Treatment Options
Eye nerve twitching is treated in one of three ways being preventative or supportive therapy, surgery or drug therapy. Using drug therapy for treatment can be quite unpredictable and often it does not produce results that last long. Some drugs that may work for one person, may not work for others. Being able to arrive at an effective treatment regimen actually takes a lot of patience and periods of trial and error under the supervision of a neurologist.
Before a doctor chooses surgical treatment, he or she will usually suggest to try treatment with a series of BOTOX injections. These are very safe and generally quite effective. BOTOX is easily administered by a few injections that are made of highly purified protein. The injections are placed directly into the muscle which blocks the nerve impulses that are ultimately responsible for triggering eye nerve twitching. This minimally invasive treatment is quick and simple and delivers some pretty dramatic and spectacular results for people that suffer from blepharospasm. If for some reason BOTOX injections or drug therapy does not work, surgery may have to be considered.
It is important to take preventative measures. Eye nerve twitching is often worsened due to stress so it is very important to avoid and learn to minimize stress. Depending on the individual, this may mean having to embark on stress management options through occupational therapy, cognitive therapy or other support meetings. Daily exercise is also recommended as an ideal way to relieve and control daily stress.