What is the best treatment to end eye twitching?

1. 82

   bethperryposted 12 years ago

   What is the best treatment to end eye twitching?
   
   Occasionally I get a twitch under one or both eyes (whether I'm tired or not) and am curious if anyone has a recommendation on how to get rid of the problem when it occurs? Thanks!

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2. 95

   rebeccamealeyposted 12 years ago

   I was reading about this the other day. I didn't see any specific remedy other than resting the eyes and perhaps warm compresses. Good luck!

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      bethperryposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Rebecca; it can be so irritating when it happens!

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3. 93

   Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years ago

   This depends on the cause. If it's intermittent, it's usually related to stress and the only real treatment is to alleviate the stress. I tell my patients that have this problem to try exercising. This won't necessarily help when it happens, but it may decrease the frequency. Hot compresses can also alleviate the symptoms when they occur because the heat relaxes the muscles.
   
   The other option is botox injection. This is usually used for twitching that has dramatically increased in frequency and has become such a nuisance that it affects the vision. Botox paralyzes the muscles that are twitching, and it lasts about 3 to 6 months depending on the person's metabolism.
   
   The twitching is essentially a misfire in the nerves that innervate the twitching muscle. Very rarely it's caused by a disease such as muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis. Most of the time it is related to stress.

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      bethperryposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Wow, I didn't know that about botox. I may have to ask my doctor about that, thank you!

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      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Your quite welcome. Very rarely a vitamin deficiency can cause an eye twitch. It would most likely be caused by a lack of vit C since C is essential to collagen which essentially holds everything together, specifically muscles.

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      bethperryposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I guess it wouldn't be a vitamin C deficiency as I take that twice a day along with juice and fruit, but interesting info!

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      leann2800posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      My eye twitches were due to nerve problems but b12 and magnesium did help.

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   5. 93

      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      @bethperry If you have a lot of eye mucous, it sounds like you need more vitamin C. Try adding 1,000mg 2 or 3 times a day and see if that alleviates the mucous and the twitching.

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4. 60

   Jonathon Kennedyposted 12 years ago

   You're experiencing muscle fasciculations. The most common "cure" for them is to reduce stress. Reducing stimulant use (less caffeine!), and getting more magnesium into your diet can also help.

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      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Actually the correct term for eye twitches is blepharospasm.

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      Jonathon Kennedyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Oh, I didn't know that. Sorry for any confusion my comment may have caused.

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      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      No worries, for future reference fasciculations actually applies to twitches in larger muscles like the leg or arm.

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      bethperryposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well I can see where over stimulation could contribute to twitches, thanks Jonathon!

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5. 65

   peacockctposted 12 years ago

   Nothing new but sleep and relaxation do wonders for my eye twitches.  I know when it starts twitching that I either need to catch up on sleep or get some of the items on my "to-do" list checked off.  The more that list piles up, the more stressed I get!

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      bethperryposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Oh you poor thing I wondered if it could be lack of sleep but I began noticing it does it when I rest up, too. I am wondering if allergies might be part of my problem? I get a LOT of eye phlegm.

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      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      lol my to-do list causes twitching too!! Glad I'm not the only one!

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6. 0

   leann2800posted 12 years ago

   Nerves, lack of sleep, and really dry eyes cause this. Relax...if you can. Sleep ....when you can. Wet your eyes. I had a whole year of eye twitching,blinking,and spasming once. Carry the eye drops with you everywhere..preferably artificial. Tears not some chemical drops that will make it worse.

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