Myokimia is a phenomenon of eyelid twitching. An unexpectedly started attack of myokimia usually ends also unexpectedly. However, it can last for several days, causing significant discomfort.

Signs of myokymia

As a rule, myokymia affects the lower eyelid and is most often invisible to other people. Twitching starts spontaneously and ends the same way.

The reasons for the development of myokymia

The development of myokimia can be triggered by several factors:

– myokymia can be a reaction to the experience of severe stress, in particular if the stress proceeded accompanied by a significant load on vision;

– Overwork and lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can also be the reasons for the development of myokimia ;

– too much stress on vision. If a person does not use glasses, but there is a need to wear them, or the existing glasses are no longer sufficient to correct vision, then the eyes during reading and even in their normal state are exposed to great stress, which can lead to the development of myokymia . The greatest strain on the eyes is long-term work at the computer monitor; 

– myokymia may be due to dry eyeball. In particular, old people suffer from this phenomenon. The development of dry eyeball at a young age can be the result of working with a computer, wearing corrective lenses, excessive drinking and coffee, the use of certain medications, and so on; 

– according to experts, myokymia can occur in people who consume a lot of caffeine;

– the development of myokymia can be influenced by unbalanced nutrition, in particular, depleted in magnesium;

– Allergy, which is caused by the fact that when rubbing itchy eyes, a large accumulation of histamine comes out, which can penetrate into the ducts of the lacrimal glands. Histamine can cause muscle spasm in the eyelids.

It is necessary to differentiate myokimia from twitching of both eyelids at once and from trembling of one half of the face, since the last two phenomena are distinguished by neurological disorders and require urgent consultation with a specialist.

Myokymia treatment

Myokimia can not only be eliminated, but also prevented from developing. To do this, you must follow simple measures aimed at eliminating the causes of twitching:

– adequate and quality sleep. Neuropathologists believe that an adult should fully rest for at least seven hours a day. Therefore, you should not get used to “fill up” the necessary time for one or two days off;

– to protect the nervous system, it is recommended to take sedatives on a plant basis – this is a tincture of valerian roots, motherwort, peony, mint leaves;

– to normalize sleep, it is recommended to reduce the amount of caffeinated drinks and alcohol consumed . Also, you should limit the use of energy drinks. Before going to bed, you should drink herbal teas and unsweetened green tea;

– to normalize sleep and eliminate myokimia, it is required to adjust the diet, include in it as much plant products and cereals as possible. Foods rich in vitamin B are especially useful, as it helps the nervous system to work properly;

– if the need arises, you should not postpone the consultation of an ophthalmologist. If necessary, it is required to change contact lenses and glasses for vision correction ;

– in some cases, myokymia may continue even after all the above measures have been taken. In this case, an injection of botulinum toxin into the muscle tissue of the eyelids will help .