Eye Twitching and Headache Causes & Remedies

An eye twitch is an involuntary, abnormal blinking of your eyelid. It can even affect your vision if eye twitching occurs for days and can affect your vision as well. Eye Twitching and Headache are related to each other, keep reading to know how and why?

An eyelid twitch is a general term for spasms of the eyelid muscles and happens involuntarily. Eye twitching causes blepharospasm and in very rare cases Bell’s palsy, dystonia, Parkinsonism, Tourette’s, and side effects from medicine for epilepsy and psychosis. Sometimes, eye twitching and headache can lead to annoying situations over a few weeks. In such cases, if it continues or leads to facial spasms, medical attention is highly recommended.

Eye Twitching Reasons

Most of the time, the reason is the excessive intake of caffeine or stress (fatigue). But, little we know that it could be dry eyes as well. Caffeine triggers the release of serotonin and noradrenaline. When our eyes get dry, it tends to blink more to keep them hydrated.

Stress and Fatigue are reasons for eye twitching and headache. Typically, the lower eyelid twitches but the upper one can also do so. Usually, it lasts for a minute, however, it can be extended for weeks or months. In rare cases, eye twitching is a result of prolonged eye strain. If you know your stress has increased, try getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep and focus on relaxation. Trying a night tea can also help in some cases.

An eye twitch and headache can also result from physical environmental factors. Like, if you are in the sun for a long time, it may cause stress and even dryness too. Dry eyes are more likely to tend to twitch. Your body is trying to tell you something by twitching, sit back and listening to it rather than ignoring it or taking medications on your own. Dust can also contribute to the problem to some extent.

Alcohol is good for nothing and consuming it in heavy quantities can trigger eye twitching at a fast pace. Overall health also interferes. Vision may also get affected as it impairs brain function in severe cases. Slow Pupil Reaction; consuming alcohol can cause your eye’s iris to dilate much slower than normal. Excessive alcohol intake can cause eye twitching or myokymia. And, the problem is eyes are one of the most common reasons for headaches.

Eye Strain causes a lot of trouble including eye twitching and headache commonly. This is the situation when you can’t focus on something for too long and it could be your book or even screen. Dryness or watery eyes are common in eyestrain. This could be a result of using screens for too long. Staying away from too many fluorescent lights may help.

Allergies and nutritional imbalances can be a possibility. You might find it shocking but nutritional imbalance does not always mean a deficiency of nutrients. Mild dehydration can also cause eye strain or twitch.

How is Eye Twitching Treated?

If it’s mild, you don’t need any treatment; getting rest and a warm compress can do the relief work. Here are some remedies for eye twitching and headache that you can do at home.

1. Take proper rest and sleep in a quiet and dark place. Bright fluorescent lights can trigger it.
2. Eye twitch is caused by a muscle, hot and cold compress may help to calm it down. Start it by putting something warm on your eyes before bed and then put cold one on the affected area for 10 minutes.
3. Keep your fingers on the area and massage mildly in circular motions. Move to the outside of your eye, underneath the eye, and on the inside corner.
4. Reduce stress by listening to your favorite music or reading books to divert your mind. Call your friend or go outside to take a walk rather than just keep thinking about it.
5. Put hot water in a bowl and take steam to hydrate your eyelids. Essential oil can also help in keeping the headache at bay.
6. Most importantly, improve your lifestyle by cutting on caffeine and soda. If you are a coffee lover, try to reduce it slowly. Pain relievers and energy drinks are also not good.

Final Words

Know the cause for your eye twitching and headache before starting any remedy for the same. If none of the above methods works, visit your doctor and write down every question. Botulinum toxin injection may relieve the eye but the side effects can be really serious. Myectomy is a surgery that is performed to remove some muscles and nerves of the eyelids in extreme cases. Hemifacial spasm associated with cluster headache needs special attention and can be treated successfully.

Know the cause for your eye twitching and headache before starting any remedy for the same. If none of the above methods works, visit your doctor and write down every question. 

Botulinum toxin injection may relieve the eye but the side effects can be really serious. 

Myectomy is a surgery that is performed to remove some muscles and nerves of the eyelids in extreme cases. Hemifacial spasm associated with cluster headache needs special attention and can be treated successfully.

In some cases, the issue of eye twitching can also be caused due to ptosis (a condition that leads to the issue of droopy eyes). In that case, you may have to undergo a surgery to take care of it. However, before you take any step in this aspect, make sure to read more about it and talk to a doctor to gain more information.