How to Stop Eye Twitching Fast: Naturally, Treatment and Home Remedies

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What causes eye twitching? Get insights on how to stop eye twitching, fast, naturally with best treatment and home remedies as well.

How to Stop Eye Twitching Fast

Eye twitching is a repetitive, uncontrollable blinking or spasm of the eyelid, usually the upper lid.
Eye twitching (blepharospasm) usually affects the eye muscles of both eyes. If you have eye twitching, you may have an involuntary movement that recurs every several seconds for a minute or two.
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Most people develop a minor eyelid twitch at some point in their lives. A twitch usually occurs in the upper lid, but it can occur in both the upper and lower lids. For most people, these spasms are very mild and feel like a gentle tug on the eyelid. Others may experience a spasm strong enough that it forces you to close your eyelid completely. Some people never have any noticeable signs.
The twitches are painless and harmless, but they may bother you. Most spasms will resolve on their own without the need for treatment. In rare cases, eyelid spasms may be an early warning sign of a chronic movement disorder, especially if the spasms are accompanied by other facial twitches or uncontrollable movements. How to stop eye twitching will be important for you the reader.

What Causes Eye Twitching

Eyelid spasms may occur without any identifiable cause, and because they are rarely a sign of a serious problem, the cause is not usually investigated. Nevertheless, eyelid twitches may be caused or made worse by:

  • dizziness
  • eye irritation
  • Eyelid strain: Some of the most common culprits include not wearing sunglasses on a bright day, wearing eyeglasses with the wrong prescription, staring at your computer for hours on end without an anti-glare screen cover, and smartphone or tablet usage.
  • Fatigue: General fatigue can lead to dry, tired eyes and result in more occurrences of eye twitching. Try to get a full 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Also, limit your use of electronic screens such as TVs, mobile devices, and computer screens leading up to bedtime.
  • lack of sleep
  • physical exertion
  • Medication side effects: you may want to know how to stop eye twitching medically, your doctor may run tests to measure your vitamin, mineral, and electrolyte levels since certain deficiencies (such as calcium) can cause eye twitching. Based on the test results, your doctor may prescribe something as simple as an over-the-counter supplement. Magnesium deficiency is the most common nutritional imbalance leading to eye twitches. If the twitch persistently recurs or is really bothering you, he suggests getting your magnesium levels checked (a simple blood test is all you need). If you’re deficient, focus on eating more magnesium-rich foods like spinach, almonds, and oatmeal, or start taking an over-the-counter magnesium supplement to easily meet your daily needs (310 to 320mg for adult women
  • stress
  • Use of alcohol, tobacco, or caffeine: Too much coffee, soda, or even stimulant medications can lead to eye twitching. Try cutting back on your intake. Consult with your doctor first before altering your dose of any prescribed medications, though.
  • Dehydration: Dehydration can cause eye twitching. Try increasing your water intake. Aim for 8-10 glasses of water per day.

If the spasms become chronic, you may have what’s known as “benign essential blepharospasm,” which is the name for chronic and uncontrollable eyelid movement. This condition typically affects both eyes. The exact cause of the condition is unknown, but the following may also make spasms occur;
Light Twitching
For most cases, it is thought that fatigue, caffeine and stress play a major role. This type of eye twitch is benign and clears up on its own. Thus you may need to know how to stop eye twitching in such a circumstance. This doesn’t make it any less annoying to the person especially if the twitch is strong enough to make the eye lid fully close and open. It can interfere with vision and cause headaches or migraines too. This minor form of twitch is painless and harmless. It usually goes away on its own. But it can be quite annoying. And that’s especially true if the spasms are strong enough to cause the eyelids to completely shut and then reopen.
More Severe Twitching
How to stop eye twitching in severe occasions by a person is also relevant. In rare cases eye twitching can be symptomatic of a larger problem. Severe cases mean that the twitch has become chronic and often involves squinting or winking too. In some cases eye twitching is more than a temporary nuisance. Some people have spasms that occur frequently throughout the day. Symptoms can recur for days, weeks, or even months. That can cause a lot of emotional distress. It can interfere with quality of life.
In its most serious forms, which are relatively uncommon, eye twitching can become chronic. It can cause persistent winking and squinting. If it progresses to the point where you have difficulty keeping your eyes open, it can cause severe vision impairment.
This can lead to more severe vision impairment as you cannot control keeping your eyelids open. In these rare cases, your doctor may evaluate you for the following conditions that eye twitching can be a symptom of:

  • Infection or inflammation of the eyelid
  • Lack of eye moisture
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Conjunctivitis

Chronic eye twitching is a relevant issue to be discussed on how to stop eye twitching in such a severe condition, this chronic eye condition can also indicate the presence of a neurological or nervous disorder. Eye twitching has been associated with:

  • Tourette’s
  • Bell’s palsy
  • Parkinson’s
  • Dystonia

How to Stop Eye Twitching Naturally, Home Remedies

Eyelid twitching or eye twitching (also called blepharospasms) can be embarrassing, inconvenient, and downright annoying. It can also seem scary when you have never experienced it before. Eyelid twitching is an involuntary muscle contraction that can have many causes, including eyestrain, fatigue, dry eyes.
Excessive use of stimulants (such as coffee or medications), dehydration, or excessive alcohol use, but the main cause is stress. Regardless of the cause, don’t panic. You have several home options available to stop eye twitching and even the eyelid twitching.

  • Start with hard blinking. Shut your eyes as tight as you can. Then open them up as wide as possible. Continue this type of blinking until your eyes begin producing tears. Stop immediately if you experience pain or if the twitching becomes significantly worse.

Doing this in quick succession spreads tear film evenly. This will cause relief by hydrating the eye, resting the lid, stretching the eye and facial muscles, and increasing eye circulation.

  • Relax your eyes with an eye massage. Massage is one way of how to stop eye twitching. Wash your hands first before attempting this remedy. Using the index and middle finger press the lower eyelid gently in and then move the fingers in a small, circular motion to massage the muscle. This will help to relax the muscle.

Do not rub the upper eyelid as that will irritate the entire eye.Lightly massage your bottom eyelids in a circular motion using your middle fingers. Massage the lid of the twitching eye for approximately thirty seconds. To prevent irritation or infection, be sure your hands and face are clean first.

  • Blink for thirty seconds. Try to do this with adequate speed. You should also make the movements very light. Imagine that your eyelashes are butterfly wings. The process of blinking is extremely important to your eyes. It relaxes most of the eye muscles, as well as lubricating and cleansing the eyeballs, which can stop the twitching.

Stop immediately if you experience pain or if the twitching becomes significantly worse. This sounds a simple method of how to stop eye twitching in first circumstance
Close your eyelids halfway down. You will notice that your upper eyelids constantly tremble with different amplitude. Concentrate your efforts on stopping this trembling. By squinting and helping visual acuity, you place less strain on the eyes. This may help a twitch resulting from a tired eye

  • Exercise eyes with eye squeezing. Close your eyes for one full minute. During this time, squeeze your eyes shut more tightly then release without actually opening them. Perform three repetitions before opening your eyes.

This exercise can lubricate eyes by increasing tear production. In addition to helping with twitching, you can use the exercise to keep eye muscles strong
The eye is a muscle and like all muscles it can be exercised. Exercising a muscle helps to keep its nutrient levels and waste toxins in balance. All you have to do is to blink them shut and hold them shut for 1 minute. During this time, squeeze eyes then release and repeat this for about 3 times before opening. The action will also produce tears that will help to nurture and care for your eye.

  • Give yourself an acupressure massage. Use the above image to locate the acupressure points around your eye.

Massage each point lightly in a circular motion for 5-10 seconds before moving to the next. Once you finish the sequence, start again from the beginning. Repeat for approximately two minutes.
For a similar acupressure technique, place your index and middle fingers on your eyebrows. Press gently and rotate them on the edges of your eye socket bone for five minutes. Acupressure methods help eye twitching by increasing circulation to the eye while the closed lid allows tear film to hydrate the eye.
To prevent irritation or infection, ensure your hands and face are clean first.

  • Try eye hydrotherapy techniques. Hydrotherapy means water therapy and you can use it to relax your eye muscles. You can use running water for both the hot and cold actions, but it can be easier to do it with an ice cube.

Rub an ice cube over your closed eye and then wash the eye with warm water. The cold constricted the blood vessels in the eye and the heat opens them up. This allows for a flushing of the eye muscle and nerves to renew its nutrient balance too. Alternate between splashing your closed eyes with cold and then warm water.
The cold water will constrict blood vessels, and the warm water will dilate the same vessels. This process will help increase circulation and blood flow to the eye, which can help with twitching. You can also run a wet ice cube over the eyelid before splashing with warm water as opposed to alternating between warm and cold water. Repeat the process 7-8 times.

  • Supplements: Science has discovered that nutritional supplements can do more than just help you achieve overall good health, they can also help to control certain symptoms. Studies have found that potassium, calcium and magnesium supplementation can all help to control or eliminate eye twitching.

How to Stop Upper Eyelid Twitching, Eyebrow and Lower Eyelid

Benign Eyelid Twitch 

(Also called eyelid myokymia)
This is a fine fasciculation (tiny muscle contractions) generally affecting one eyelid (more often a lower eyelid, but upper eyelids as well). Affected patients may feel as though their entire eyelid is “jumping wildly,” but observers barely notice the movement.
Twitching is episodic, lasting seconds to hours over minutes to months, but always eventually resolves on its own. Associated with stress, fatigue, and caffeine use.
Does not involve upper and lower eyelids on the same side or eyelids on both side of the face at the same time and rarely involves more than one eyelid at different times. “Myokymia” is probably a bad name for this problem, as the term is also commonly used to describe another, very different disorder.
Minor eyelid twitching is common and happens spontaneously. This condition is thought to be related to stress, fatigue or both. Minor eyelid twitches require no treatment as they usually disappear on their own. Reducing stress, increasing your amount of sleep, and decreasing caffeine intake may help to relieve eyelid twitches.
What causes hemifacial spasm?
It is believed that hemifacial spasm occurs when a blood vessel presses on the facial nerve that supplies the muscles to that side of the face hence the eyelid.
Drug treatment or surgery is used instead.
Drug treatment for blepharospasm requires patience, as finding a successful mix of drugs and doses may take some time. Some drugs are more effective for some patients than others, and certain drugs may produce short-term benefits, unpleasant side effects or both. It is important to follow the instructions of your ophthalmologist or neurologist, and report side effects if they occur.
Surgery is recommended when Botox and drug treatment do not work. There are two common types of surgery. One involves removing the facial muscle that is causing the spasms. The second involves removing a portion of the nerve in order to reduce the severity of the spasm. Short- or long-term side effects are possible and should be discussed with your ophthalmologist before surgery.

Eye Twitching Treatment

There are several medical and non-medical ways of how to stop eye twitching.
Eyelid twitches have many causes. The treatment that works and the outlook varies depending on the person. Research is being done to see if there’s a genetic link, but it doesn’t seem to run in families. Twitches related to stress, lack of sleep, and other lifestyle factors have the best outlook. If an underlying health condition is the cause, then treating the underlying condition is the best way to relieve the twitching.
Finding out ways for how to stop eye twitching can help you take care of the problem yourself, but you should see a doctor if the twitching continues for more than a week. Persistent eye twitching can indicate the presence of an infection, or be a symptom of a neurological problem.
If the spasms become chronic, you may have what’s known as “benign essential blepharospasm,” which is the name for chronic and uncontrollable eyelid movement. This condition typically affects both eyes. The exact cause of the condition is unknown, but the following may make spasms worse:

  • Bell’s palsy (facial palsy), which is a condition that causes one side of your face to droop downward
  • dystonia, which causes unexpected muscle spasms and the affected area’s body part to twist or contort
  • cervical dystonia (spasmodic torticollis), which causes the neck to randomly spasm and the head to twist into uncomfortable positions
  • multiple sclerosis (MS), which is a disease of the central nervous system that causes cognitive and movement problems, as well as fatigue
  • Parkinson’s disease, which can cause trembling limbs, muscle stiffness, balance problems, and difficulty speaking
  • Tourette’s syndrome, which is characterized by involuntary movement and verbal tics

Most eyelid spasms go away without treatment in a few days or weeks. In most cases, minor eyelid twitch will disappear without you even noticing if you get enough rest and/or reduce or eliminate your intake of alcohol, tobacco, or caffeine. Blepharospasm does not occur while sleeping. If they don’t go away, you can try to eliminate or decrease potential causes. The most common causes of eyelid twitch are stress, fatigue, and caffeine. To ease twitching, try the following;

  • Drink less caffeine.
  • Get adequate sleep.
  • Keep your eye surfaces and membranes lubricated with over-the-counter artificial tears or eye drops.
  • Apply a warm compress to your eyes when a spasm begins.

Lifestyle treatments may also help ease the symptoms of benign essential blepharospasm. Treatments also include:

  • acupuncture
  • biofeedback
  • hypnosis
  • massage therapy
  • nutrition therapy
  • psychotherapy, which can be helpful for Tourette’s syndrome
  • tai chi
  • yoga and other meditation techniques for relaxation

The most commonly recommended treatment for benign essential blepharospasm is botulinum toxin (also known as Botox or Xeomin). Botox is also commonly recommended for patients with hemifacial spasm. When injected in very small quantities into the eye muscles, the drug may relieve spasms for several months. But the effect gradually wears off. Repeat injections are usually necessary.
Doctors sometimes recommend medications such as:

  • Biofeedback
  • Acupuncture
  • Hypnosis
  • Chiropractic
  • Nutrition therapy

But the benefits of  how to stop eye twitching using any of these treatments have not been established by scientific studies.
Further references

  1. How to Stop Eye Twitching: http://www.newhealthadvisor.com/How-to-Stop-Eye-Twitching.html
  2. Eyelid Twitch: http://www.healthline.com/health/eyelid-twitch#Overview1
  3. Eye Twitching: http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/why-your-eyes-twitch?page=3