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Twitching eyes [Information on further tic and twitching problems will be added to this section shortly]
"My eyes keep twitching - it looks as if I'm winking
at people"
Uncontrollable twitching of the muscles
round the eyes is called blepharospasm
or myokymia.
Only the eyelid may be affected, or the sufferer may keep blinking
and closing the eyes repeatedly, or there may be spasms of not
being able to open the eyes for a few moments or for longer
periods. Sometimes the muscles of the lower face and the jaw
are involved as well, so that trying to open the eyes causes
these muscles to contract into a grimace. The twitching may
be worse when the individual is tired or under stress, and it
is often aggravated by bright or flickering light (such as that
from a TV) or irritants such as smoke or wind. Blepharospasm is not a dangerous condition,
because it does not spread to other muscles of the body, but
it can be embarrassing not to have control over one's facial
expression. It is probably caused by a fault in the part of
the brain that controls movements (the basal ganglia).
Although stress makes it worse, relaxation
techniques do not seem to help. In fact, there is no cure, but
it can be improved by tiny injections of botulinum toxin into
the affected muscles. For this treatment, your GP would have
to refer you to a neurology department specializing in movement
disorders. The treatment has to be repeated several times a
year. USEFUL CONTACTS The Dystonia Society
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