Have you ever wondered why your eyelids twitch, when you should worry about this and what to do if the symptoms persist?
Badrul Hussain, consultant ophthalmic surgeon, A&E and cataract services, answered these questions on behalf of Moorfields for a feature in iNews. As is often the case with media, this was edited, but this is the full story:
“Twitching eyelids, the medical term for which is ‘myokymia’, is defined as uncontrollable muscle contractions in your eyelids that may be described as flickering, quivering or spasms. These symptoms are very common, can affect anyone and are usually harmless.
“Typical causes are being tired or short of sleep, having dry eyes, having too much caffeine, using nicotine and stress. If people address these, the twitching will often stop.
“If it doesn’t, or becomes constant, or spreads to other parts of the face – or if there are other symptoms, such as pain, along with the twitching, you should consult your GP. This is sometimes a sign of other conditions that may need to be investigated.”
9 June 2025