Why do my Eyes Twitch?

You know what we’re talking about – that annoying little eye twitch that seems to happen out of the blue. It is often barely noticeable to anyone looking at your face, but to you, it feels like your eyelid is jumping about all over the place! Get to know more about this symptom.

Optometrist lingo for this phenomenon is myokymia and it is quite common and generally harmless. The twitching tends to affect the lower eyelid of one eye but occasionally, the upper eyelid can also twitch. It can last anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days or a week. Any persistent, ongoing eye twitching should be investigated by an optometrist to rule out any underlying neurological conditions.

Some of the well-known triggers for eye twitching include stress, fatigue, dry eyes, too much caffeine, eye allergies and these days, too much screen time on digital devices.

Combatting stress through relaxation and exercise plus ensuring that you get enough sleep will go a long way to relieve eye twitching. Also, remember the 20-20 rule when using your screens and digital devices: every 20 minutes, look away from your screen and focus on an object in the distance for at least 20 seconds and have a good blink! Blinking replenishes eye moisture which is important in reducing dry eye and eye strain symptoms. If you’re a big coffee, tea or energy drink lover, perhaps cut back a bit on your caffeine consumption over a few weeks to see if this is a trigger for your eye twitching.

So, whilst it’s annoying, eye twitching is generally not a symptom of a serious eye health problem. But if your eye twitching is persistent and you feel that something is not quite right, call in to see us at Outlook Eye Centre and we’ll thoroughly assess your vision and eye health for peace of mind.