Why is My Eyebrow Twitching

Eyebrow twitching, eyelid tics, or eye spasms are quite a common phenomenon and most people experience it at some point in their lives. Usually involuntary, eyelid twitching can be a bothersome sensation if it does not go away after some time. Eyebrow twitching does not give any prior indications and rarely call for medical intervention. However, the condition can be quite annoying and disturb your routine life. Let us know more in detail about eyebrow twitching.

What is Eyebrow Twitching?

Referred to as “myokymia” in medical terms, eye twitching is basically the involuntary movement of the skin around the eyebrows or eyelids. Most rippling spasms are experienced in the lower eyelid only, but it is not uncommon to notice the upper eyelid twitch too. The throbbing sensation can last for a few seconds, and be a mild affair, or it can last up to several days and weeks as a constant, continuous sensation. Spasms may occur on the right eyebrow or the left eyebrow and usually go away on their own without medical intervention.

However, anything out of the ordinary must be reported to the doctor as in some rare conditions, constant eye twitching can be indicative of a serious underlying health problem.

What Causes Eyebrows to Twitch?

The cause of left or right eyebrow twitching is not really known, but the involuntary muscle spasms in and around the eyebrows and eyelids have been linked to lifestyle issues. If you notice your eyebrows twitching very often and the spasms do not go away after a few episodes, you may try to narrow the underlying cause. Eyebrow twitching can be likely caused due to the following reasons:

12 Causes of Eyelid Tics

• Dehydration: Dehydration can cause electrolyte imbalance in the body due to low levels of water. The lack of water makes it difficult for the body to carry routine functions. This imbalance can affect anybody muscles including the eyes.
• Stress: Rest and relaxation are necessary for the body to function normally. Stress can cause undue strain on the body’s muscles, and may even cause muscle spasms in the eyelids. Though there is no medical evidence for this, experts believe that stress causes the eyes to strain and they react by twitching.
• Caffeine: Caffeine has been linked to eyelid spasms and observed more in people who have caffeine or related products in excess. Keeping a record of caffeine consumption and eye twitching may help you establish a link between the two.
• Alcohol, tobacco, and drugs: Alcohol, tobacco, recreational drugs all end up stimulating the muscles and could be a probable cause of excessive eyelid tics.
• Strain in the eyes: Given the age of computers, mobiles, and tablets, most of us sit glued to screens causing unnecessary strain on the eyes and related muscles. Twitching in the eyebrows indicates your eyes are overworked and you need to give them rest.
• Dry eyes: Many adults face the problem of dry eyes. Given the environmental factors, dry yes is quite a common phenomenon. It can cause the muscles around the eyes to react to the lessor interrupted tear production and result in twitching.
• Tiredness and fatigue: Whether you are tired, overly worked or fatigued, it indicates one common issue- lack of rest and sleep. This can cause involuntary twitching of eyes and the muscles around them.
• Allergies: If you are prone to allergies, you may also be rubbing your eyes frequently. When you rub your eyes, histamine is released which is believed to irritate the eye muscles. This can strain the muscles around the eyes and cause them to twitch.
• Nutritional imbalances: Just like nutritional deficiency can cause eyebrow twitching, excess of certain vitamins and minerals too can cause the same. While lack of vitamin D is known to trigger muscle spasms, imbalance of magnesium and potassium levels in the body can also cause muscle stress. These factors need to be discussed with the doctor.
• Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions like epilepsy, hypothyroidism, influenza, sinusitis, food poisoning, anemia may also cause muscle spasms. You will need to run some tests and work with your doctor to rule these causes.
• Bell’s palsy: A swollen or compressed facial nerve may cause temporary weakness in the muscles of your face eyes included. Known as Bell’s palsy, the condition is often associated with diabetes and high blood pressure. The weakness of the eye muscles can also cause eyebrow twitching.
• Dystonia: Unusual, frequent, involuntary and repetitive muscle spasms can also be caused due to Dystonia. Though it is often a symptom of an underlying medical problem, if you experience eyebrow twitching that occurs repeatedly, it is best to seek your doctor’s advice.

How to get Rid of Eyebrow Twitching?

• Stay hydrated: Make sure you drink enough water and keep yourself hydrated thoroughly. Keep on replenishing the fluid loss after heavy and strenuous workouts.
• Gentle massage: Benign eyebrow twitching may subside by simply massaging the eyes and the areas around gently. This will boost blood circulation to the area and relieve tics. It is suggested that eye twitch can occur as a result of fatigue and stress of the eye muscles. Using index fingers, one can massage muscles of each eye twenty times alternately in clockwise and anticlockwise directions. Massage can help in treating eye muscle fatigue by improving blood circulation to the eyes.
• Hot and cold compress: Alternate hot and cold compresses can also help relax the muscles and stop twitching. A hot shower may just do the trick.
• Warm Compress: One might apply wet and warm washcloth as a compress on one’s closed eyelids and leave it for few minutes. This can be repeated four times a day regularly
• Relax and rest: Make a routine to do some breathing exercises daily, relax with your children or pets, spend some time doing yoga or simply rest often. All these measures will keep stress at a bay and you will notice less or no eyebrow twitching.
• Cut on caffeine and related products: Switch to decaffeinated versions of caffeine drinks, cut on sodas and energy drinks and observe the eye twitching go away in a few days.
• Abstain from liquor, drugs, and cigarettes: If you notice a relationship between drinking alcohol or taking recreational drugs, try abstaining for a while and see if the problem goes away. Sometimes, they act as muscle stimulants and cause eyebrow twitching.
• Avoid Intake of Tea and Coffee: Experts suggest that intake of excessive stimulants can cause eye twitching. One may want to avoid excess intake of coffee and alcohol
• Carrot and Beet Root Juice: Regular intake of one glass of carrot juice and beetroot juice can improve the overall health of our eyes. This can be a natural cure for eye twitching. Experts suggest that the presence of antioxidants such as vitamin C, E, carotenes, and selenium can help in preserving eye health
• Splash Water: Regular and frequent splashing of cold water into our eyes can be another good remedy. This can help in reducing strain from the eye muscles by promoting blood supply
• Take breaks from screens: Every 20 minutes, take a 20 minute break from your computer or mobile. If you find yourself squinting a lot when in the sun, wear sunglasses. Most importantly, see an optician as twitching can also be indicative of growing power.
• Sleep well: Getting a good night’s sleep of at least 8 hours will ensure that you are not fatigued or overworked. Sleep is the best way to give rest to eyes and control twitching.
• Take nutritional advice from a doctor: Instead of popping in multivitamin tablets, ask your doctor to run some tests to ascertain whether or not you have any nutritional imbalances that need to be addressed. You may include bananas, avocados, nuts etc. in your diet to combat the deficiency.
• Address your medical concerns: If you have any medical condition like high blood pressure, diabetes, infection, allergies or any other issue, make sure you work with your doctor and take appropriate treatment. This will help combat eyebrow twitching effectively.

When to See a Doctor for Eyelid Tics?

The annoying condition of eyebrow twitching can be mostly treated by the above-stated remedies without any medicines. However, because it can also be indicative of a serious health issue, it would be best to seek your doctor’s advice if –

• You notice muscle spasms in other parts of the body like hands and fingers
• Twitching does not go after a week or two even after taking all the precautions
• Your eyes are swollen, painful red or appear droopy
• There is any kind of discharge from the eyes, or you experience the pain of any degree
• You find it difficult to open your eyes and both eyelids clamp down.

As such, eyebrow twitching is rarely a serious issue and cannot be addressed by medicines. However, your doctor is your best guide if it does not stop after doing the above-mentioned home remedies.