Reader\'s Digest Australia - 06.2019

22 | June• 2019

H E ALTH

disorders,” says Dr Hardik Soni, an

emergency medicine specialist.

“But t hen the twitch is accompanied

by other signs and symptoms. Look

for medical help if the twitching

persists for a long time [one to three

weeks], twitching occurs in other

parts of the face, and the eyes are red,

swollen or have a discharge.”

HOW TO STOP YOUR EYE FROM

TWITCHING?The obvious answer

is t o address the potential causes

of e ye twitching to see if it helps.

Get m ore sleep, cut back on caffeine,

keep your eyes hydrated with drops,

and do what you can to reduce

stress. Some home remedies include

drinking 150 ml of tonic water or

holding a cool – or warm – compress

to your eyes. A more extreme

approach involves Botox, says

Dr W ang, but he recommends

against drastic measures like

this since the condition generally

resolves itself on its own.

WHAT IS EYE TWITCHING?

Despite the name, your eye isn’t

actually moving at all. It’s that pesky

eyelid. Eyelid twitching is pretty

common and usually nothing to

worry about, according to Dr Ming

Wang, a corneal refractive specialist

and surgeon. The condition of

temporary or long-term eye

twitching is called eyelid myokymia

and is the result of an involuntary

misfiring of the neurons that

stimulate your eyelid muscles.

WHAT CAUSES EYE TWITCHING?

There are several common reasons

why your eyelids may twitch.

“Very rarely, eye twitching can be

a sign of certain brain and nerve

Do You Have

BY ISABEL ROY

Eyelid spasms can have severa causes

• Stress


• Excess caffeine


• Dehydration


• Fatigue


• Eye strain
  
  
  • Alcohol
  
  
  • Dry eye
  
  
  • Nutrition
    problems
  
  
  • Allergies
  
  
  
  

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES