Eye twitching

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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Eye twitching is a slight, involuntary movement of the eyelid every few seconds over the course of a minute or two. Sometimes the spasm is strong enough to make your eyelid close completely before reopening.

Eye twitching can come and go unpredictably for a few days, weeks or months. The spasms don't hurt, but they can be annoying. In its most common form, which is harmless, eye twitching stops on its own, although it may recur occasionally.

Rarely, eye twitching may be the earliest sign of a chronic movement disorder, especially if other facial spasms develop in addition to the eye twitching.

References
  1. BEBRF blepharospasm pages. Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation. http://www.blepharospasm.org/index.html#contents. Accessed Aug. 26, 2008.
  2. Ben Simon GJ, et al. Benign essential blepharospasm. International Ophthalmology Clinics. 2005;45(3):49-27.
  3. Banik R, et al. Chronic myokymia limited to the eyelid is a benign condition. Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology. 2004;24(4):290-292.
  4. Martino D, et al. Relationship between eye symptoms and blepharospasm. Movement Disorders. 2005;20(12):1564-5170.
  5. Miwa H, et al. Bell's palsy-induced blepharospasm. Journal of Neurology. 2002;249(4):452-454.
  6. Camargo CHF, et al. Cervical dystonia: Clinical and therapeutic features in 85 patients. Arquivos Neuropsiquerativ; 2008;66(1):16-21.
  7. Micheli F, et al. Development of Parkinson's disease in patients with blepharospasm. Movement Disorders. 2004;19(9):1069-1072.
  8. Tsary D, et al. Clinical concepts: Dystonia. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;355:818-829.
  9. Kenney C. Tourette's syndrome. American Family Physician. 2008;77(5):651-658, 659-660.

MY00102

Oct. 7, 2008

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