We've all been there: you're just trying to watch TV or get some work done, when all of a sudden your eye starts gently pulsing and flickering, before morphing into some full-on twitching. But what exactly causes eye twitching? According to Dhruvin Patel, an optometrist and founder of Ocushield, there are multiple possible reasons – and the majority aren't anything to be overly concerned about (so if you had visions of your eyeball falling out, you can put those to bed).
Before we delve into the twitchy triggers, you might find it interesting to know what an eye 'twitch' actually is. "A pesky twitching eye is usually normal and nothing to worry about, it's an experience many of have already faced or will face," says Patel. "The mechanism behind this is electrical activity in the brain that causes nerve cells to send randomised signals to the muscles, which causes spasms."
Potential triggers include not getting enough sleep, overloading your body with caffeine (possibly after the shoddy night's kip, which can also see you twitch as you're drifting off...) and feeling stressed. "Effectively, your body is trying to tell you something. Lifestyle choices like, too many sessions in the gym and sleeping less than 7 hours a day consistently can cause your eye to twitch. Don't ignore it, take rest and use this as a feedback mechanism," advises Patel. "Watch the amount of these hot drinks you consume and see if you can find a happy medium that stops the twitching, if the former method of topping up on sleep does not do the trick."
Most eye twitches will last for a few days and then disappear, but they can reoccur weeks later if your body becomes stressed again. This is normal, says Patel, but if you have a consistent eye-twitch for longer than a week (which does not disappear after rest) it can also be a sign of something more serious.
"If you have an eye twitch that stops the eye from closing fully, or you can't manage to reopen it if it does close voluntarily, then this is a red flag and I'd advise that you seek medical help," explains Patel, adding that it could be a more serious condition such as Blepharospasm or Bells Palsy.
"In very rare instances, you could be suffering from a Hemifacial spasm, where you'll start to see other muscles around the same side of the face and eye suffering from spams, such as the jaw, mouth and neck, if the condition is progressing." Again, if you're worried that your twitch is more than tiredness, stress or caffeine, it's always a good idea to book in with your GP.
As for treating a twitch at home, if it's on the not-so-serious end of the scale, Patel recommends using a warm compress on the eyes for a few minutes to relax the surrounding muscles. "In some instances, if your eye is not lubricated sufficiently, this can also result in eye-twitching. When we blink we lubricate the eyes, and if we're not blinking properly – maybe due sleeping with our eyes open or if we have an incomplete blink where we don't blink completely – this can cause dry eyes. Try over-the-counter eye drops for some relief."
And there you have it, time to switch to decaf lattes and take a blinking (sorry) nap.
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
