Conditions
Blepharospasm
Blepharospasm (also known as Benign essential blepharospasm) is an abnormal, involuntary blinking or spasm of the eyelids, which typically affects people between the ages of 50 and 70. It can cause uncontrollable blinking and closure of the eyelids. And in extreme cases, someone with blepharospasm may be unable to prevent their eyes from clamping shut.
The condition is associated with an abnormal function of the basal ganglion, which sounds like a race of aliens that Dr Who might one day encounter, but is actually a small area deep within the brain, responsible for controlling the movement of muscles. No cure has yet been found, although Botox (Botulinum toxin) injections into the eyelids is currently the treatment of choice. Understandably, this can be uncomfortable, but it’s a process that needs to be repeated every three months or so. Medical drug therapy or a surgical procedure to remove some of the muscles and nerves of the eyelids, known as a myectomy, are other possible treatment options.
Comments and Questions
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My daughter is 18 and it has taken 5 very long years to get a diagnosis of sorts and proper botox treatment which she had her fist one into eyelid on one eye yesterday. They didn't do both eyes due to side effects as yet she has seen no improvement but very early days. I have found it SO frustrating to get a proper diagnosis for her as she is so young and a lot of doctors we saw put it down to stress or nervous twitch which is so obviously is not. I can only hope this treatment works as it really has impaired her life so far and she is not as outgoing as she wants to be etc. A beautiful girl inside and out and a very cruel condition.
My mother was diagnosed with Blepharospasm about 18 months ago, she has been given injections on a monthly basis. At first they seemed to last about a fortnight.For the past year it has got a lot worse, to be able to see she has to hold her eyelid up, bright lights, sunlight seem to make things worse. My father died in 2009 and her stress level has increased and along with the eye problem. After seeing the programme last night I was wondering is Hypnosis might be a help.
I am 22 and i have suffered with this condition for 10 years or so. Doctors, opticians have had nothing to say on the problem as they dont know about it. My eyes just constantly blink and the muscles around the face can go like. It is embarassing and self draining-
i am 30 had a twitch for about 20 years which involved blinking,i've just learned to control it over the years,stressfull times can trigger it off,when i was training in my job 15 years ago that was the worst, it even triggered panic attacks. my friends little girl has just started having the same twitch,i just think some people are more prone to picking up habbits but the more you 'think' people notice them the worse you get.
michael i know how you feel,i have had this problem since i was a child,it is very embarrasing,i feel people are staring and makes me feel very self concious,my brother also has this problem,so im hoping my daughter doesnt suffer with this problem as she gets older.
My eye twitches a lot its like a pulse sensation, doesnt hurt just annoying, also i get a lot of water blisters on the inside of my eyelid that itch all the time untill i manage to pop them, what are they and what courses them ?
My husband has a problem with his eyes and excessive blinking/twitching, he has had this problem for 20 years + and has been too embarrassed to seek help. We are unsure if it is an habit or a medical condition, lately I have noticed that the one eye is worse than the other and the blinking of the eyelids is also linked with a kind of twitch in the cheek bone. This is making him very depressed and self conscious, it is something that has been swept under the carpet for years and not mentioned due to how embarrassed he is about it. He has no control over the problem and only just recently the one eye seems to be sticking now and again. Can anything be done to help or is it purely an habit. It is now getting to the stage where he will not leave the house other than to go to work, he does not want to socialise and become very angry with himself.
Thank you for visiting our web site and for discussing your problem so openly. If you would like the opportunity to be seen by one of the Embarrassing Bodies Doctors and have your problems assessed and treated by a specialist, then why not apply for the chance to take part in the programme. Please visit the following link and click ‘Apply to be on the show’ where you can fill in an application form: http://www.channel4embarrassingillnesses.com/features/be-on-embarrassing-bodies/
This sounds a lot like blethraspasm and I would certainly get to see a neurologist - I am sick of people thinking this condition is a habit and you can help it - if that was the case believe me my daughter would accept it was a habit and try other things rather than having needles into her eyelids every three months. It is so hard to get a diagnosis for this condition over here due to the fact that there is not a simple blood test that get the answers. You just need a good neurologist and someone who understands this condition.
I have the symptoms of Blepharospasm, but it seems to be directly linked to feeling tired all the time. Does anyone know if it's common to have both tiredness and Blepharospasm, for all I know it could be that the tiredness all the time has caused the Blepharospasm to occur. Thanks David
I suffer from blepharospasms and just received my first set of Botox shots 2 1/2 days ago. My condition was so bad that I had to hold one eye open just to drive. There were times when my eyes would clamp down so bad that I was afraid I would miss a traffic light and t-bone someone. My neurologist said it takes 72 hours for the Botox to take effect. So far, I've seen about a 50% improvement. I am incredibly pleased with this level of improvement thus far. The neurologist said that he will give me more if I need more to get me back to where I was before this condition began. He simply didn't want to give me too much to start with since it was my first procedure. For those who are wondering about the treatment, mine was done with four VERY small needles two on the top of the eyelid and two on the bottom of the eye on each eye. on a pain scale of 1-10, 1 being the least and 10 being the worst, I'd rate it a 1, maybe a 2. I had a friend drive me to the procedure and was able to take half a Valium about 20 minutes prior to the procedure and that calmed my nerves a bit. The procedure took about five minutes and then I waited for 15 minutes afterward to make sure there were no immediate negative side effects. If you are insured and are able to get Botox to give you some relief for this condition, I totally recommend it for you! My stats are: 32 y/o female, suffer from severe migraines, some nerve disorder, and of course, blepharospasms.
Your the same as me hun! I got my last botox treatment last week. The ending results are fab. I feel much more out-going and active. But the day after your last treatment you get this massage to soothe your blood veins IT'S GREAT!!!!
My eye twitch started when my son moved in with me and gave me unnecessay stress and I noticed it went away when he moved out. He wanted to move back in this year and my eye started to twitch again so I said no. I'm thinking that eye twitches can be caused by stress. You can also talk yourself out of a twitch by trying to handle the stress.
I have a annoying twitch on my arm, mainly in the for-arm and upper arm but It only happens occasinaly, I would just like to now if it will just go away eventually
I'm only 15 and i have a twitch in my eye lid, and sometimes it get uncontrollable, and irritable. But the optician said it was just a nerve trapped, and nothing to worry about, because it would pass. However, i've had it for a few years. What shall i do?
Thank you for visiting our web site and for discussing your problem so openly. If you would like the opportunity to be seen by one of the Embarrassing Bodies Doctors and have your problems assessed and treated by a specialist, then why not apply for the chance to take part in the programme. Please visit the following link and click ‘Apply to be on the show’ where you can fill in an application form: http://www.channel4embarrassingillnesses.com/features/be-on-embarrassing-bodies/
Thank you to Val for her valuable advice. Although it has taken perserverance, I insisted on a second opinion and am now having botox injections around my eyes and neck which is now also affected. Thankfully it is working really well and am finally getting my life back. Hoping to also get back my driving license and go back to work! I'm not going mad afterall!!!!
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