In ancient Greece, if you noticed that your eyelid was twitching, you would have to run in search of a cactus. Whereas if you were Egyptian, noticing that your left eye was twitching, meant that you had to go visit the fortune teller. On the other hand, if you were Chinese, you would have to consult the time of the day.

 

Wondering what does eyelid twitching have to do with cacti or fortune tellers or the watch? Well, noticing an eye twitch meant that the Greeks would spit and keep a cactus outside their home to ward off the evil eye. Whereas it is said that in Egypt, fortune tellers predicted events based on the twitching. As for the Chinese, based on the time of day in which your eye is twitching, you can either expect an invitation to an important dinner party or lose money or so forth…

We Indians too have our own beliefs about the left or right eye twitching. So what is the real reason for eye twitching?

Known as ‘Myokymia’ in medical parlance, eyelid twitching is due to repetitive spasm of the eyelid muscles. Often, this is usually painless and more of a nuisance than anything else. Sometimes, these may persist for days, weeks or even months causing a lot of emotional disturbance.

 

So why does the eye twitch?

 

Here are the top ten reasons for eye twitching:

  •  Stress
  • Tiredness
  • Dry Eyes
  • Alcohol
  • Allergies
  • Caffeine
  • Tobacco
  • Lack of Sleep
  • Eye Strain
  • Nutritional Imbalance

 

How To Stop Eye Twitching?

If stress, fatigue or lack of sleep is causing eye twitching, a good relaxing nap can help. Eye strain can also be due to a need for change of glasses or overuse of computers/ smartphones. If your alcohol , tobacco, or caffeine intake has increased recently, it’s best to cut that down. There could be more serious damage happening to your body than just eyelid twitching. Your eye doctor can help determine if dry eyes or eye allergies are the reasons for your eye twitching and how to take care of it. In very rare instances, when the eyelid twitching just won’t stop, your Oculoplasty Eye Doctor can treat it with Botox Injections.