Eye Twitching

Key takeaways

• An eye twitch is an involuntary spasm of the eyelid.
• Eye twitches sometimes occur due to stress, lack of sleep and excessive caffeine or alcohol intake.
• Reducing stress, improving your sleep and cutting back on caffeine or alcohol may ease lifestyle-related eye twitches.

Overview

What is eye twitching?

Eye twitching is when your eyelids twitch or squeeze uncontrollably. When you have this symptom, it may feel like someone is pulling lightly on your eyelid. The feeling is similar to a muscle spasm.

Eye twitching may occur occasionally or frequently. It's common to experience other symptoms when you have an eye twitch. For example, you may also experience some of these other symptoms:

• Headache
• Light sensitivity
• Increased blinking
• Dry eyes
• Facial spasms

Other names for eye twitching

Blepharospasm, Benign essential blepharospasm

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Possible Causes

What can cause an eye twitch?

What causes your eye to twitch depends on your lifestyle and underlying health conditions. For example, your eyes may twitch if you consume caffeine or drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Eye twitching has also been linked to fatigue and high levels of stress.

Some common causes of eye twitching include:

• Caffeine consumption
• Fatigue
• High levels of stress
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Corneal irritation
• Irritation of the eye membranes (conjunctiva)

If you're not sure what is causing your eye twitching, meet with a health care provider to discuss your symptoms.

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Treatment & management

How can eye twitching be treated?

Work with a health care provider to determine the cause of your eye twitching so that it can be treated appropriately. If your eye is irritated, your doctor may recommend antibiotic eye drops or other medications to control your symptoms. Lifestyle changes may help reduce or eliminate eye twitching such as:

• Getting more sleep each night
• Reducing your caffeine intake
• Consuming less alcohol than usual
• Trying stress reducing activities such as medication or mental health counseling

MinuteClinic offers a variety of services that can help with diagnosis and treatment.

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When to seek medical care

Go to the hospital or call 911 if:

• Eye twitching is accompanied by sudden dizziness or loss of balance.
• You experience double vision, blurry vision or a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes.

Contact your provider if:

• Eye twitching doesn't go away after 1 week.
• Twitching causes your eye to close completely.
• Other parts of your face start twitching.
• You experience swelling, discharge or redness.

In general, if you are concerned about your eye twitching, check in with a health care provider. You can find a variety of services at a MinuteClinic near you.

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This material is for reference only and should not be used to determine treatment for specific medical conditions.

Please visit a healthcare provider for evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of any symptoms you may be experiencing. If you're experiencing a medical emergency, please dial 911 or visit your local Emergency Department.

References used as sources for this page

1. Source from Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/eye-twitching. Accessed on May 2023.
2. Source from MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000756.htm. Accessed on May 2023.
3. Source from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/conjunctivitis/about/treatment.html. Accessed on May 2023.
4. Source from Mount Sinai. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/eyelid-twitch. Accessed on May 2023.

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