Eye twitching (also known as Myokymia) is a common condition experienced by most people. It involves rippling muscle contractions in the eyelid. It commonly occurs on the bottom eyelid of one eye. However, it is also possible for the top part of the eyelid to twitch. It is a very subtle movement that other people will not even notice it.

An eye twitch usually lasts for a short time. In some instances, however, it can go on for weeks or months. While the condition is rarely serious, it can be very annoying, especially if you rely heavily on your eyes for the work that you do.

If an eye twitch is giving you problems, you need to find a way to get rid of it. Most of the time, you will presume that it is caused by eye strain due to activities that make your eyes tired. While most twitches brought about by eye strain go away after resting your eyes, rest will not always suffice. To be sure, you need to identify the cause of your eye twitch so you can address it accordingly. Here are some of its possible causes:

Lack of Sleep

Sleeping for sufficient number of hours is not only good for your body, it is essential for your eyes too. You should catch up on your sleep to avoid eye twitches.

Stress

Stress can result to eye twitches. You need to identify what stresses you out so you can reduce the same and prevent your eye from twitching.

Eye Strain

You are bound to experience eye strain when your eyes are too tired from intense use such as when you drive, read or use the computer for extended periods of time. It is not a serious condition but it can be annoying.

Causes

•    Need to change glasses or prescription
•    Computer eye strain due to prolonged use of computers, mobile phones and tablets.

Symptoms

•    Dry, watery, tired, itchy, sore or burning eyes
•    Double or blurred vision
•    Sore back, shoulder or neck
•    Sensitivity to light
•    Headache
•    Eye discomfort.

Treatment

If your eye strain and eyelid twitching are affecting the way you function, you should consult your doctor immediately so he can assess your condition. He can perform an eye exam to determine if you have a vision problem that needs to be corrected. Your doctor may also prescribe special computer glasses if your eye strain is caused by prolonged computer use.

Dry Eyes

This is another common eye condition. It may be caused by old age, prolonged computer use, contact lenses, certain medications like anti-depressants or anti-histamines and excessive consumption of alcohol or caffeine. You can consult your doctor to check on how you can resolve your dry eye problem.

Alcohol and Caffeine

Excessive intake of alcohol and caffeine can result to eye twitches. You can try to cut down your consumption of alcohol, coffee, soda or tea to prevent eye twitching.

Allergies

When you have an eye allergy and you rub your eyes, the allergen can be released into your lid tissues and tears which can cause eye twitching. While you can take an anti-histamine to treat the allergy, this can cause a dry eye problem which is also one possible cause of twitching.

To accurately determine the cause of your eye twitches, you should consult your optometrist so he can assess your condition properly.

Treatment

1.    Get your eyes checked by an optometrist, as reading or computer eye strain is a common cause.
2.    Rest, discontinue caffeine and alcohol.  Do this for a few weeks and see whether it makes a difference.
3.    If you suffer from allergies topical (eye drops) antihistamines and or antihistamine tablets might help.
4.    In severe cases Botox injections will break the cycle.
5.    Quinine tablets for a few days acts as a muscle relaxant – these can be very effective.