Arbitrary twitching of various muscles can occur at any age. A similar phenomenon is called a nervous tick of the eye. It is characterized by involuntary contractions of the facial muscles. Muscle twitches are not controlled by the person, are obsessive and become noticeable to others.
Varieties
Signs of a nervous tic of the eye are obvious to those around you - the facial muscles suddenly begin to twitch and contract. The reasons for the development of a nervous tic, as well as its treatment, depend on the form in which it is expressed. Depending on the factor that led to the tick, pathology is divided into the following varieties:
- Primary.
- Secondary.
- Hereditary.
It depends on the causes of a nervous tic of the eye.
Primary tick
Primary tic can periodically appear even in a healthy person. This kind of tic is manifested as a result of the reaction of nerve endings to an irritant. Such an irritant can be a stressful situation, a feeling of fear or an overstrain of the emotional plan. A similar phenomenon most often occurs on its own, without specific treatment. Due to emotional instability, mostly children are prone to nervous tics. In adults, a similar symptom also occurs against the background of a sharp change in the emotional state. In the event of a nervous tic in this case, one should look for a cause in the health of the nervous system.
Secondary tick
Secondary nerve tic of the eye is a severe pathology of the central nervous system. It can occur against the background of an infectious disease, damage to the brain or metabolic disorders in it.
A nervous tic of the eye in a child may be accompanied by tics in other areas.
Tourette's syndrome
In addition, a number of hereditary pathologies are highlighted, which may be accompanied by a nervous tic. One of these diseases is Tourette’s syndrome. He is diagnosed in childhood. The main symptom of the syndrome is uncontrolled, spontaneous tics of the vocal and motor type.
Ticks are localized in different parts of the body, and quite often a contraction of the abdominal muscles is manifested. The presence of Tourette's syndrome in a child indicates the presence of this pathology in close relatives. The intensity of symptoms can vary and smooth out with age.
The treatment of nervous tic depends on the factor that led to its occurrence.
Causes
Nervous tic eye in an adult can develop for the following reasons:
- Lack of sleep, insomnia.
- Overstrain of the physical or emotional plane.
- Severe illness caused by infection.
- Lack of sleep and rest, high rhythm of life.
- Trace deficiency.
- Infectious eye lesions.
The causes of a nervous tic of the eye should be determined by the doctor.
Pathology is the result of a malfunction that occurred in the body against the background of a stressful situation. Also, the body can respond in the form of twitching of the eye to a lack of trace elements, in particular magnesium and calcium, which determine the normal functioning of the central nervous system of a person.
Ophthalmic diseases that arose against the background of the inflammatory process can also cause involuntary contractions of the facial muscles. With blepharitis or conjunctivitis in the absence of timely treatment, inflammation can under certain conditions go to the nerve endings of the eyes, which will cause their involuntary twitching.
Symptoms
If diseases of the human nervous system act as the cause of the development of nervous tic, then, in addition to muscle contraction, the following symptoms are revealed:
- Convulsive syndrome.
- Increased irritability.
- Decreased muscle tone.
Involuntary contractions of the facial muscles can develop after a serious illness. In this case, tic is a kind of reaction of the nervous system to severe depletion of the body and a decrease in its protective properties.
The causes and treatment of nerve tic of the eye are interrelated.
Only by diagnosing the exact cause of the appearance of such a pathology as a nervous tic, it is possible to determine further actions and the necessary therapy. The diagnosis should be made by a specialist, since improper treatment at best will leave everything as it is, and at worst it can lead to complications and worsening of the patient's condition.
Which doctor should I go to?
Involuntary muscle contractions appear due to pathologies of a neurological type, therefore, a primary consultation should consult a neurologist. The specialist will conduct an examination and collect a patient’s history, as well as prescribe a brain examination using magnetic resonance imaging. This type of study will exclude organic diseases of the nervous system.
A nervous tic can be the result of mental disorders, so the patient is recommended to visit a psychiatrist without fail. It is also necessary to exclude the presence of malignant neoplasms. Having received the results of all necessary studies, the specialist prescribes drug therapy in order to eliminate the cause of the disease and relieve symptoms.
Having identified the nature of the nervous tic, the specialist selects treatment taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient and the nature of the disease. If a violation of the nervous system is associated with previous ophthalmic pathologies, you should also consult an optometrist.
Treatment of nerve tic eye
Having determined the factor that provokes contraction of the facial muscles, the specialist selects a treatment regimen. Quite often it turns out to be enough to eliminate nervous exhaustion and a stressful stimulus to get rid of a nervous tick. Sometimes a nervous tick passes when a person establishes a sleep and rest regimen or reduces the amount of workload. After some time, the intensity of the tick decreases, it becomes more rare and less pronounced. To get rid of the residual phenomenon, it will be enough to visit several sessions of psychotherapy and establish a regimen.
Treatment of nervous tic of the eye in adults with medicines involves the use of sedatives, as well as muscle relaxants. Various sedative medications help eliminate insomnia and normalize sleep. If the tic problem is severe, only sedatives will not be enough, so a specialist can also prescribe tranquilizers and antidepressants, which will help reduce nervous tension and anxiety.
Muscle relaxants make it possible to eliminate increased muscle tone, which leads to involuntary contractions. These drugs do not always show high efficiency, therefore, the appropriateness of their administration should be discussed with your doctor.
In exceptional cases, antipsychotics may be included in the therapy, which contribute to the normalization of metabolic processes in the human brain. The main negative feature of these drugs is the high likelihood of the body getting used to the active component. In this regard, antipsychotics are prescribed with increased caution.
In any case, treatment of nervous tic involves a comprehensive approach and a combination of different groups of drugs. It should also be borne in mind that nerve tic is a recurring disease and can return at any time.
Physiotherapy
There are special exercises for the facial muscles, which make it possible to relax a tense area and thereby reduce the frequency of involuntary contractions. Gymnastics includes the following exercises:
1. Blinking for a minute at a fast pace.
2. First tightly close the eyelids, and then sharply stick out his eyes. Repeat several times until tearing occurs. After tears flow, it is necessary to stop.
3. The eyelids are tightly closed until a shiver in the eyes. All possible efforts must be made to calm the trembling without closing the eyelids completely.
4. At the final stage of gymnastics, you need to calmly close your eyelids and make a light massage with your fingertips. Circular movements should be made without pressing hard on the eyelids.
Performing these exercises helps to gain control over the muscles of the eyes, as well as the relaxation of tense areas of the face. Gymnastics allows you to relax each muscle, which has a beneficial effect on the state of the central nervous system.
How else to cure a nervous tic eye in an adult?
Alternative methods of treatment
Quite often, it is possible to get rid of a nervous tick without the use of medications. Traditional medicine is ready to offer several effective ways to eliminate involuntary muscle contractions. In this case, we are talking about sedatives of natural origin, which have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and can relieve tension and hypertonicity. In this case, after eliminating the very cause of the development of the tick, the symptoms will gradually disappear after a while.
Traditional medicine suggests the use of the following natural pharmacy products for the treatment of nervous tic:
- Tincture on the rhizome of valerian. It normalizes the central nervous system, and also helps to eliminate insomnia. It is recommended to be taken before bedtime, especially for patients who exhibit emotional instability.
- Motherwort tincture. Effectively reduces blood pressure, and also has a small sedative effect. Motherwort copes with nervous strain, eliminates insomnia and stress. The instructions for tincture indicate the necessary dosages and duration of administration.
- Herbal teas with a calming effect. They are recommended to take one glass before going to bed. Pharmacy chamomile, mint and lemon balm have a good sedative effect. In addition, some pharmacies sell a mixture of these herbs, packaged in filter bags.
In addition to using alternative methods of treatment, one should also strengthen the body and take vitamin complexes.
Now we know how to get rid of the nervous tick of the eye.
Prevention
The main preventive measure in case of nervous tics is the reduction of situations leading to stress. Frequent and prolonged stay in a state of emotional stress leads to malfunctions of the nervous system. If possible, sleep disturbances, as well as high mental stress during work, should be avoided. You should also consult a doctor in a timely manner if you suspect an eye disease of infectious origin.
Often the reason for the appearance of a tic is a problem with the mental health of a person, so it is important to learn how to properly and fully relax muscles. As auxiliary methods, sports, swimming, yoga and walking in the fresh air will help to cope with this task.
The state of overwork should be avoided, strictly normalizing the operating mode, excluding possible heavy loads and processing. A warm bath with essential oils and sea salt will help to cope with the daily load.
We examined the causes of nervous eye tic in adults.