How To Treat Eye Twitching (Blepharospams)

Eye twitching is a condition of involuntary closing or twitching of the eyelid. It’s medically known as blepharospasm. These eyelid spasms can be uncomfortable and make everyday tasks more difficult. Patients with this condition also sometimes feel self-conscious in social settings when people may comment on their eye twitching. Fortunately, there are some practical ways to treat this.

1. Patient Education

Twitching eyelids are often linked to a trigger. That could be wind, sunlight, noise, persistent stress, lack of sleep, or specific movements. Becoming aware of this potential cause will allow you to develop your personalized spasm reduction plan.

Knowing what causes eye spasms can help you feel a little more in control. Since persistent stress can be a stimulus that starts the twitch and keeps it going, not having the stress of twitching on top of other stress may reduce the severity or duration.

2. Membership in Various Support Groups

You can find all kinds of networks of people who are dealing with similar challenges. They may have tips based on what’s worked for them. Since stress can be a factor in eye twitching, don’t overlook groups that can support you indirectly: mental health, wellness, nutrition, addiction, physical activity, etc.

This page by the Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation can help you learn more about finding support.

3. Improve Sleep Quality

Good sleep can improve the symptoms of many conditions, including eye twitching. If you don’t sleep enough, have a sleeping disorder like sleep apnea, or experience restless sleep, addressing this may also stop eye twitching.

4. Pharmacotherapy

Certain medications can work with your strategies to get rid of eye twitching. Botulinum toxin injections (more commonly known as BOTOX®) can help, as can various medicines used for mental health and inflammation.

5. Surgery

If more conservative treatments don’t sufficiently eliminate the symptoms, surgical options exist, including removing a tiny portion of the eyelid muscle or nerve.

Treat Eye Twitching and Find Relief

Do you need to treat eye twitches in Fitchburg, Greenfield, Gardner, or West Springfield, MA? Contact us online or call 1-855-286-2020 to schedule an appointment with an eye doctor at Longwood Eye & LASIK Center. The team looks forward to helping you find practical solutions to treat eyelid spasms.