If your eyelid randomly twitches, then you know exactly how annoying it can be. It feels uncomfortable, you worry that it looks strange to others, and the most annoying thing of all: you probably have no idea why it’s happening. It always seems to happen at the worst times, too, like if you’re applying mascara or having a conversation with someone you just met. If you’ve ever wondered why your eyelid randomly twitches, there are actually a whole bunch of things that could be going on.
First, though, you should know that it’s probably not a huge deal. Single, random eyelid twitches are called myokymia, which means an uncontrolled muscle contraction of the eyelid. It might be annoying, but it’s also totally normal and usually goes away just as quickly as it began.
There are a few possible reasons your eyelid is twitching, although it’s hard for doctors to pinpoint exactly what could be causing it, usually because it’s so fast. The reasons include lack of sleep, stress, and straining your eyelids for too long. Eyelid twitching can also happen after consuming caffeine, which is a stimulant that can increase nerve and muscle activity. It can even occur after having alcohol or tobacco.
If the eye-twitching comes along with any other symptoms, it could be a number of things.
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This can include inflammation, dry eyes, conjunctivitis, or corneal scratches. Any of these require a doctor’s visit, although Dr. Robert H. Rosa Jr., professor of surgery and medical physiology at the Texas A&M College of Medicine, told Vital Record, “There is typically no reason to be concerned about these slight tremors, which are common.”
There’s actually no cure for random eyelid twitching, because it’s considered such a non-issue. But if it’s really bothering you, there are a few lifestyle changes you can make. You can try reducing the stress in your life, or if your eyelid is in the midst of twitching, try calming yourself down with some deep breaths. You can also do things like avoid caffeine and alcohol, and get a lot more sleep.
To soothe a twitching eyelid, you can gently press a warm towel over it for a few moments, but this isn’t guaranteed to fix anything. Again, doctors say it’s something that will go away on its own pretty quickly.