Dr. Bhawna Piplani

Eye twitching, tics in the eyelids and spasms in the eye are pretty common. In case of eye twitching, usually the lower eyelid becomes involved. The upper eyelid may also twitch in certain cases. Twitches are not permanent in nature, and they leave after some time. In some cases, eye twitching may last for long durations of time such as weeks or months.

Eye twitching is not a critical medical condition. It is a temporary prickling and irritation in the eyes, which ceases after some time. Common twitching of the eyes is not related to any neurological disorder.

Here are some reasons which cause eye twitches:

• Stress: Every individual goes through some amount of stress, and the body reacts differently in different people as a result of stress. An eye twitch may be caused due to stress, especially related to strain in the eyes. In order to reduce stress you should practice yoga, meditation, perform breathing exercises and take a break. Reducing the stress would also cease the twitching in the eyes.
• Tiredness: Eye twitching can appear when you are fatigued or very tired. Lack of proper sleep makes your body tired, and this might trigger eye twitching.
• You should improve upon your sleeping hours and sleep more.
• Eye strain: Vision problems and any issue related to the eyes can cause stress, which may result in constant twitching in your eyes. Whenever too much stress is imposed upon your eyes, they tend to react and twitching occurs. Any problem would make the eyes put in more effort, which results in strain. You should have an eye check up if you experience an eye strain accompanied by twitching sensation in your eyes. People who use computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones for a profuse period of time experience pain and twitching in the eyes. There is a 20-20-20 rule to be followed while using such devices, which reduces eye strain and reduces itching or twitching. You can also avail special eyeglasses for people who spend a lot of time on computers.
• Caffeine: Intake of an excess amount of caffeine leads to eye twitching. Cut down your doses of coffee, tea, dark chocolates and soft drinks in case of eye twitching and you may observe an easing in the twitching.
• Alcohol: Alcohol also leads to eye twitching so you must abstain from alcohol in case you are having twitching in the eyes.
• Dry eyes: This disorder develops in people who have crossed the age of 50. People who use computers a lot also develop dry eyes, which leads to eye twitching.

Our eyes twitch because of a lot of reasons. You should know the facts right and avoid situations that lead to eye twitching. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ophthalmologist.