We all know it … you sit there and suddenly the eyelid just starts to twitch. We have taken a close look at this phenomenon and would like to point out possible causes.
Where does this eye twitching actually come from and how does it develop?
To understand why eyelids twitch, a look at the anatomy of the eye is beneficial. The lower and upper eyelid muscles are responsible for the eye closing and opening. If the interaction of the two muscles does not work, one of the two eyelids will twitch. Thus it can be said that eye twitching is a communication problem of the interacting muscles.
The twitching of the eyelid is usually only recognizable by a closer look, but for the person concerned this is clearly noticeable and bothersome. However, it is usually harmless, even if it lasts for several hours. To a large extent, the twitching of the eyes appears only on one side. In the rarest cases both eyes are affected.
Causes for eye twitching
There are several reasons why the eye twitches:
- Stress
- Overstraining the eye
- Vitamin deficiency
- Eye infections
- Neurological diseases (in the rarest cases)
Stress is the most common cause of nervous eye twitching.
Stress as a cause
Persons with a high stress level, e.g. overexertion at work, anxiety, nervous states, often due to excessive caffeine consumption, can suffer from these involuntary muscle twitches. We have already dealt with the subject of stress in one of our previous blog posts:
– What effects does stress have on our body?
– How to protect yourself from oxidative stress
Overloading of the eye as a cause
In addition to stress, exhaustion of the eyes caused by too many hours at the PC without breaks can also trigger the twitching of the eyelids. If you are sitting in front of your computer for a long time for professional reasons, you should take conscious breaks, e.g. by looking out of the window more often instead of on the screen and deliberately blinking more often. It is also advisable to avoid screens such as mobile phones, televisions, etc. after work.
Vitamin B12 or mineral deficiency as cause
Also a lack of necessary vitamins can be the trigger for the involuntary eye twitching. A lack of vitamin B12 in particular is often the trigger for eyelid twitching. Weather conditions can also often cause us to sweat. With perspiration, the body loses magnesium, potassium, sodium and chloride, which are important minerals for muscle control.
