Eyelid twitch

[reann33]

Hello, I have been experiencing a lower eyelid twitch for 3 weeks. It comes on for a few seconds and goes. Blinking hard or squinting makes it worse. I went to the eye Dr a few days ago and she did not find anything wrong with my eyes and said it is probably due to the high level of stress I am under. I made the mistake of searching online for eye twitching causes and there were some simple causes like fatigue and stress and scary things like MS and neurological disorders. Just wondering if I am freaking myself out over nothing or if I need to be concerned?

[reann33]

Thank you for the advise. I contacted my primary physician and she thought that my twitch does not sound concerning and stated that if it was neurological, I would be having many other obvious symptoms and the twitch would be constant. Did not want to refer me to a neurologist. She agrees that this could be an allergy/irritation or stress. I have been extremely stressed lately so it is possible. I was also told to take magnesium as low magnesium can cause this.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms and history, two important possibilities are coming to my mind. One is of any allergic reaction and the second is of blepharitis. Blepharitis is an inflammation of the upper eyelid in response to any infection or allergy. Dietary factors in some individuals (caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, tobacco) may also cause blepharitis.
Apply warm compresses on the eyelid and keep the area clean with frequent washing. Also avoid applying any eye makeup till the symptoms get resolved. Check the date of the eye makeup and if they are too old, then replace it with new one. If there is no visible improvement, antibiotic ointments may need to be prescribed. I suggest you to discuss this option with your ophthalmologist.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[Sanjivani Wanjari, MD]

HI,
Fatigue and stress can be the most likely reasons for eyelid twitching. However the twitching has been there for a long time (three weeks). As your Eye Doctor has not found any problem, it would be best to consult a neurologist for an evaluation.
The answer is based on information provided. Exact advice is not possible without a proper examination and investigations. You are requested to consult your Doctor. Take care and keep us posted.