Why do my eyelids twitch when I'm anxious?

Eyelid twitching caused by anxiety disorder is actually a phenomenon that many people will face in life. If it is indeed caused by anxiety disorder, you should focus on regulating your emotions and relieving your anxiety and stress. Common eyelid tremors can also cause this symptom.

1. In life, people sometimes experience eyelid twitching. From a medical point of view, the scientific name for eyelid twitching is "eyelid tremor", which is mainly caused by repeated contraction of a very thin muscle inside the eyelid - the orbicularis oculi muscle. Occasional eyelid twitching is not a problem. Most cases will disappear on their own within a short period of time and have nothing to do with good or bad luck. But if your eyelids twitch many times a day and the frequency increases, it may be a sign of certain diseases, hemifacial spasm is one of them.

2. Hemifacial spasm, also known as half-facial spasm, is characterized by paroxysmal, uncontrollable abnormal twitching of the muscles on one side of the face. Each attack lasts from tens of seconds to several minutes. During the period when the attack stops, the face of the patient with mild symptoms is basically symmetrical. The attacks may occur dozens to hundreds of times a day, and the face may continue to twitch even when the person is soundly asleep. Long-term spasms and convulsions can cause facial deformation and distortion, which is not only unsightly, but also makes it impossible to open the eyes, and the eyes (palpebral fissures) become smaller, affecting reading, newspapers, and watching TV. It also makes people afraid to cross the road and affects driving safety. Patients also experience facial soreness and tightness and lose the ability to smile, which seriously affects their daily life and social life, especially those in marketing, education, public service and students.

3. Experts point out that eyelid twitching can be divided into physiological and pathological types. Physiological eyelid twitching is a one-time attack and is very short in duration, usually just a few seconds, and the degree of twitching is not serious. Most people feel that the twitching is obvious, but others cannot see it. This type of eyelid twitching is mostly caused by insufficient rest, eye fatigue, mental tension or some external stimulation. It does not affect your health and has nothing to do with good or bad luck. Generally, no special treatment is required. If you feel your eyelids twitching frequently, you can close your eyes and rest for a while, or gently massage around your eyes with your fingertips, or apply a warm towel to your eyes. Generally, the eyelid twitching will subside automatically.

4. However, the eyelid twitching symptom of hemifacial spasm is pathological twitching. It mostly occurs in the lower eyelid, and rarely occurs in both eyelids, or the eyelids twitch alternately. The attacks are frequent and last for a long time, with a large amplitude. When the eyelid muscles twitch, the eyes will become smaller. There is no inducing factor such as fatigue, tension or stimulation, and the attacks continue for more than 3 months after rest or self-regulation. In this case, you should highly suspect that it is an early manifestation of hemifacial spasm. This requires going to the hospital to see a specialist for a face-to-face diagnosis. An experienced specialist can determine whether it is physiological eyelid twitching, early eyelid twitching of hemifacial spasm, or other diseases.