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Eye twitch: What causes it?

What causes eye twitch?

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Mayo Clinic ophthalmologist Dennis Robertson, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.

Answer

Occasionally, your eyelid may twitch at random. This involuntary twitching of your eyelid muscle typically lasts less than a minute. But it can be annoying.

The cause of eye twitch isn't known. But it may be associated with fatigue, stress or caffeine. You may be able to relieve eye twitch by gently massaging the affected eyelid. To do this, move your index finger back and forth from the inner to the outer part of the lid for approximately one minute. Use the same amount of pressure that you use on a computer keyboard. Massage may be more effective if you first use a warm, wet compress on the eyelid for 10 minutes.

An eye twitch is usually harmless. Rarely, a twitching eyelid can be a symptom of a muscle or nerve disorder. But in such cases, eyelid twitching is usually accompanied by other symptoms.

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Jul 25, 2008