My eye twitches a lot. What's that about?

Answered by Wendy Paris on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 10:54 AM filed under general postings
"Eye twitching can be a sign of eye fatigue," says Robert Friedman, M.D., a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and associate director of residency training at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. "The orbicularis, or eyelid muscle, is the busiest in the body—and the most easily fatigued. You blink about ten times a minute." Eye fatigue can result from strain or overuse, general physical fatigue, or a nutritional imbalance resulting in a calcium depletion. Figure out which one of these factors is affecting you and make the adjustments needed. "Invariably, twitches go away, unless there is some kind of neurological issue," says Dr. Friedman. "And that is so rare, it's really not worth pursuing." To counter this condition, he advises eating a nutritionally balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and paying attention to your work conditions—i.e., make sure you have adequate lighting, good posturing, and a comfortable distance between you and the computer. And if you're prone to eye fatigue, try resting your eyes for five minutes once every hour.

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