Jun 5, 2008

Eyelid twitching a blepharospasm

By Andrew Soss / Daily News Columnist

Dr. Soss,

I experienced some twitching of one of my eyelids and saw an eye doctor for this problem. It was so annoying. I had it for about 2 weeks and nothing would help it go away. The doctor told me that it's just related to stress and not to worry about it. Now it's been more than a month and it still hasn't gone away. Is there anything else that could be causing it? I'm actually starting to get a little worried since it has been this long.

B.K.



B.K.,

A blepharospasm is what you are describing as twitching. These spasms can be very mild in nature to quite profound when they involve both the eyelids and the face. The most severe forms can be associated with nerve or muscle-related disorders, which fortunately are very rare. The most common form of blepharospasm that we see in our office is in fact related to stress.

There are different forms of "stress" that exist. There can be mechanical stress, which occurs from rubbing the eyes often or with great vigor. This mechanical stress stretches the muscle beyond its normal level of elasticity. As a result, the muscle will twitch. As the stress prolongs, so will the condition. This is a very common cause, especially during allergy season.

Stress related to emotional imbalance associated with work, finances and personal issues is often seen as an underlying cause to these bothersome spasms. Try to determine which of these seems most related to your present condition. In either case, I generally recommend that patients use warm compresses with a warm wet towel over the affected area. This exercise in relaxation can often provide relief sooner than just letting nature take its course. Again, if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis, feel free to obtain another opinion.



Questions to Dr. Soss should be sent to his e-mail theeyedoctor@att.net or via his Web site at www.dr-andrewsoss.com. All answers & opinions are those of Dr. Soss and not necessarily shared, endorsed or affiliated with this or any of our newspaper agencies.
Dr. Andrew C. Soss, OD, FAAO, has been practicing for over 20 years. During that time he has been a clinical instructor in the department of ocular pathology at the University of California. As a primary eye care provider in private practice in Burlingame, he is also board certified in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of primary open angle glaucoma.