“Why is my eyelid twitching?”

Eyelid twitches or spasms are usually caused by stress, fatigue or caffeine. They usually go away without treatment in a few days or weeks. If they are not improving a complete ophthalmologic exam should be performed.

Eyelid twitching that you describe is common enough that it has its own name - myokymia. It is felt to be due to nervous instability of some fibers of the bundle of nerves that control the eyelid and facial muscles. It is most common in the middle years, is usually subtle enough that the patient who has it feels it but it is not seen. Occasionally, however, it involves more muscles and can be observed by others. It does not come from any pathology and leads to no pathology.  Most handle it by rubbing the twitching lid which frequently will stop the twitching. Rarely, it is so often and so prominent that the patient wants more than reassurance. In those cases, a little Botox injection will usually stop it for many months and sometimes completely. Hopefully yours is the subtle for which will eventually go away on its own.

Yes, you should see an eye doctor.

Jeffrey D. Gold, MD

Sometimes too much stress, caffeine and not enough sleep will conspire to cause upper lid twitching; as long as it is not continuous and does not involve the rest of the face, it is of no real consequence.

This is very common. Factors like caffeine, stress, anxiety and rarely nervous diseases may be causes