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.
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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.
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'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 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!!!!
I'm 16 and i am having the same problem! Its not clamping shut involuntarily.. It seems like i just have to blink with more force than needed, causing my whole face to twitch. It wasnt very bad at first, but then my friends starting noticing it and i decided i needed some help.. Can anyone please help me?!
Can someone help me? My daughter who is 10 has been overblinking in one eye now for 3 months and sometimes it seems to roll back slightly. She is becoming increasingly depressed and breaks down in tears alot. She says she cant stop it and its getting worse. I need some advise, please help.
hi my girlfriend who is 17 does the Same. she started at 7.has been to the GP and said its because she has Spots behind her Eye. She Takes eyedrops but Does not make much of a difference. she's even had a (cat) scan and evrythink Came up fine. i think its todo with stres.
I have just turned 21 and i have an eye problem that's been getting worse since i was born. My eyelids don't clamp shut but i sometimes blink excessively and with more force than usual, it also gets worse when i am in public. I have gone for eye tests numerous times and they always say there's no problem, i even have perfect 20/20 vision but it is really annoying and it's making me become less sociable. I was just wondering if there is anything at all that i can do?
In reply to Sharon, blepharospasm is a neurological condition and can be successfully treated with botox injections, which my husband has around the eyebrows and into the eyelid. He sees a neuro-opthamologist. The first consultant he saw couldn't diagnose it and the second didn't inject into the eyelids so the bobotx didn't work. See another consultant and don't give up! My husband couldn't see anything before the injections started to work but now has now drives and lives a normal life. Good luck!
I have started getting spasms in my eyelids, that cant be controlled. I have seen my GP, but they think it could just be linked to stress. The thing is I do work daily with computers, and not sure if this contributes to the spasms. Its so annoying, as I lose focus, and it feels like everyone can see it. My next thing to try is have another eye test, although had one last year. They diagnosed Dryitis-excessive dryness of the eyes and lots of blinking.This was when I didnt get the spasms though. I hope does get worse than it is.
I have just turned 21 and i have an eye problem that's been getting worse since i was born. My eyelids don't clamp shut but i sometimes blink excessively and with more force than usual, it also gets worse when i am in public. I have gone for eye tests numerous times and they always say there's no problem, i even have perfect 20/20 vision but it is really annoying and it's making me become less sociable. I was just wondering if there is anything at all that i can do?
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