Eye jumps or eyes twitching are a common phenomenon. Eye twitching is a form of spasm that affects the muscles of the eye. In most cases, only the bottom lid of an eye twitches but the top lid can also jump. Many of the eye jumps come and go, but others can last for week or months. It is not uncommon to hear patients tell doctors that their eyes have been twitching for several weeks and they are worried. Many things including eyestrain, stress, alcohol, allergies, dry eyes, tiredness, or nutritional imbalances may cause a left eye jump. To treat left eye jumps, you should determine what is causing the twitches and find a solution.
In most cases, an adjustment in lifestyle could do away with the twitching. Mostly, all sudden onsets twitching of left eye are benign. This means that it may not be something of major concern, and in most of the time, it will subside and go away without needing medical attention. At other times, a benign kind of twitch can be difficult to treat.
You have to figure out what could be causing it in order to stop it. There are however, some serious forms of twitches that are caused by neurological disorders such as hemifacial spasm, and blepharospasm. Although they are less common, these conditions and the subsequent eye jumps should be investigated properly by an eye doctor.
When an eye jumps, you may think that other people are seeing it. However, the spasm is usually subtle and others may not be able to notice it.
Causes of left eye jumps
Eye jumps may be triggered by a number of things ranging from dry eyes, to deficiencies in vitamin B12 and vitamin D. A person may experience eye twitching if they suffer from eyelids or cornea inflammation. A cornea or eyelid inflammation is a condition known as blepharitis. This condition is caused by overgrowth of bacteria, which block oil glands in eyelids.
It may also be caused by allergies. This condition causes itching and scaling accompanied by swelling of eyelash base. Deficiency of vitamin B12 causes shaking movement and spasticity, which triggers eye twitches.
Eye straining can also cause these kinds of eye jumps. When you strain your eyes by trying to read or using devices like tablets and computers for an extended period, you are likely to experience twitches. Allergies of the eyes may cause rubbing thereby leading to release of histamine. This can cause left eye jumps.
Alcohol and caffeine intake could also cause twitching of the eyes. When you are tired and do not get adequate sleep, you are likely to have these twitches. A neurological disorder like basal ganglia may cause the twitches. Basal ganglia occurs when there is dysfunction of the brain part that helps in control of movement.
An injury to brain by things such as carbon monoxide, copper poisoning, or drug overdose and infection may cause basal ganglia, which interferes with the control of movement thus inducing muscle spasms including those of the eyelids.
Treatment of left eye twitches
Much of treatment is aimed at identifying the cause and offering remedies to stop the twitches. When the cause of eye jumps is blepharitis or cornea inflammation, treatment is done to reduce the twitching. Blepharitis cannot be cured and it can only be controlled. Wiping the infected area and avoiding eye contact before you wash your hands could help reduce the twitches.
One should also refrain from sleeping with eye makeup. A deficiency of vitamin B12 causing twitching can be treated by taking food that contains sufficient amount of this vitamin such as beef, lamb, and fish or crab. Alcohol and caffeine intake may be reduced if this is the cause.
Reducing stress could also help minimize incidents of having eye twitches. Doctors may prescribe medicines to reduce severe eye twitching. In case of blepharospasm, injections with Botox may help relax the muscles and stop the spasms.
Neurological procedures can help relieve the twitches and at times surgery procedures may be performed to remove the muscles that are experiencing the spasm, but this should be a last resort. Where the cause of eye jumps is straining of the eyes, one should avoid the things that are causing straining such as use of computers for an extended period or reading for a lengthy period. Taking breaks between reading and computer use sessions could help relax the muscles of the eyelids.
Minor forms of eye jumps are usually painless and harmless. They will clear on their own but they can still be annoying. When the spasms are strong to cause the eyelids to shut completely and then open, they can be a bother. Twitching of eyelids can be more than just a temporary nuisance.
Some people may experience these spasms throughout the day occurring in a frequent manner. Others can last for days, weeks, and even months. Such kinds of eye jumps can cause emotional stress and could interfere with the quality of life you have.