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Eyelid twitch - Treatment

Alternative Names

Eyelid spasm; Eye twitch; Twitch - eyelid

Treatment:

Eyelid twitching usually disappears without treatment. In the meantime, the following steps may help:

Get more sleep.
Drink less caffeine.
Lubricate your eyes with eye drops.

If twitching is severe, small injections of botulinum toxin can temporarily cure the spasms.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outlook depends on the specific type or cause of eyelid twitch. In some cases, the twitches usually stop within a week.

Complications:

Permanent eye injury from unrecognized cornea injury is possible, but rare.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your primary care doctor or eye doctor (ophthalmologist) if:

Eyelid twitching does not go away within 1 week
Twitching completely closes your eyelid
Twitching involves other parts of your face
You have redness, swelling, or a discharge from your eye
Your upper eyelid is drooping

Eye

Eye muscles

Reviewed last on: 11/10/2008
Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Faucett DC. Essential blepharospasm. In: Yanoff M, Duker JS, Augsburger JJ, et al, eds. Ophthalmology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2004: chap 91.

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