Sometimes, when people are stressed out, they have spasms in their eyelids. These spasms may cause either their upper or lower eyelids to twitch in a saccadic way or it may be in the form of a prolonged contraction making the eyes seem as though they are almost plastered open. They may seem as though they are confused and disoriented when this happens. According to Dr. K. Bhupinder from Ask Medical Doctor.com, this is a condition called myokymia.
Myokymia can occur in any part of the body, but is usually used to describe eye muscle twitches. It can be caused by stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, reading or working on a computer for prolonged periods of time, high caffeine intake, high alcohol intake, and certain medications. The University of Maryland Medical Center also notes that it may be caused by a lack of vitamin D in the diet.
Dr. Bhupinder says that to treat this disorder, one should apply warm compresses on the eye, gently massage the eyelid with your fingers, and put antihistaminic eye drops in the eyes. It is also recommended that one gets a good night’s sleep and takes a break from watching TV or working on the computer. If the condition persists for a prolonged period time, the person should visit a neurologist because it may be caused by a more condition such as:
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Hypocalcema (low calcium levels in the blood)
- Hypomagnesemia (low magnesium levels in the blood)
- Thyroid disorders
- Dystonia
- Huntington’s disease
- Hyperventilation – calcium becomes temporarily less available to the body during hyperventilation
- Damage to a single nerve or nerve group or multiple nerves that are connected to muscles
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscle cramps caused by sports or occupational muscle injury
In conclusion, if one experiences something such as myokyma or sees someone else with it, don’t panic. One may just need to relax a little, try to take some vitamins, and get some rest.