Arbitrary twitches of various muscles can appear at any age. This phenomenon is called a nervous tic of the eye. It is characterized by involuntary contractions of the facial muscles. Muscle twitches are beyond the control of the person, are obsessive and become noticeable to others.
Varieties
Signs of a nervous tic of the eye are obvious to the people around you - the muscles of the face suddenly begin to twitch and contract. The causes of 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, the pathology is divided into the following varieties:
- Primary.
- Secondary.
- Hereditary.
It depends on the cause of the eye tic.
Primary tick
Primary tick can appear periodically even in a he althy person. This type 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 feelingfear or emotional overstrain. Most often, this phenomenon disappears on its own, without specific treatment. Due to emotional instability, children are mostly susceptible to nervous tics. In adults, a similar symptom also occurs against the background of a sharp change in the emotional state. When a nervous tic appears in this case, one should look for the cause in the he alth of the nervous system.
Secondary tick
Secondary nervous tic of the eye is a severe pathology of the central nervous system. It can occur against the background of an infectious disease, brain damage or metabolic disorders.
Nervous eye tic in a child may be accompanied by tics in other areas.
Tourette Syndrome
In addition, there are a number of hereditary pathologies that may be accompanied by a nervous tic. One such disease is Tourette's syndrome. It is diagnosed in childhood. The main symptom of the syndrome is uncontrolled, spontaneous vocal and motor tics.
Tics are localized in different parts of the body, quite often there is a contraction of the abdominal muscles. The presence of Tourette's syndrome in a child indicates the presence of this pathology in close relatives. The intensity of the symptoms may vary and even out with age.
The treatment of a nervous tic largely depends on the factor that led to its occurrence.
Reasons
Nervous eye tic in an adult canevolve for the following reasons:
- Lack of sleep, insomnia.
- Physical or emotional overstrain.
- Severe illness caused by infection.
- Lack of sleep and rest, high rhythm of life.
- Micronutrient deficiency.
- Infectious lesions of the eyes.
The causes of the nervous tic of the eye should be investigated by a doctor.
Pathology is the result of a failure that occurred in the body against the backdrop of a stressful situation. Also, the body can react in the form of eye twitching to a lack of trace elements, especially magnesium and calcium, which determine the normal functioning of the human central nervous system.
Ophthalmic diseases that have arisen 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 a 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 may develop after a severe illness. In this case, the tick is a kind of reactionnervous system to severe depletion of the body and a decrease in its protective properties.
The causes and treatment of a nervous 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. Diagnosis should be made by a specialist, as improper treatment will at best leave everything as it is, and at worst can lead to complications and deterioration of the patient's condition.
Which doctor should I go to?
Involuntary muscle contractions appear due to pathologies of a neurological type, so you should consult a neurologist for an initial consultation. The specialist will conduct an examination and collect the patient's history, as well as prescribe a brain examination using magnetic resonance imaging. This type of study will allow to exclude organic diseases of the nervous system.
Nervous tick may be the result of mental disorders, so the patient is advised to visit a psychiatrist without fail. It is also necessary to exclude the presence of malignant neoplasms. Having received the results of all the 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 the 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 past ophthalmic pathologies, you should also consult an ophthalmologist.
Treatment of nervous tic of the eye
Having determined the factor that provokes the contraction of the facial muscles, the specialist selects a treatment regimen. Quite often, it is enough to eliminate nervous exhaustion and a stressful stimulus in order to get rid of a nervous tic. Sometimes a nervous tic goes away when a person establishes a sleep and rest regimen or reduces the amount of stress at work. After some time, the intensity of the tic decreases, it becomes rarer and less pronounced. To get rid of the residual phenomenon, it will be enough to attend several sessions of psychotherapy and establish a regimen.
Treatment of a nervous tic of the eye in adults with medications involves taking sedatives, as well as muscle relaxants. Various drugs with a sedative effect help to eliminate insomnia and normalize sleep. If the tic problem is severe, sedatives alone will not be enough, so the specialist may also prescribe tranquilizers and antidepressants, which will help reduce nervous tension and anxiety.
Muscle relaxants make it possible to eliminate the increased muscle tone, which leads to involuntary contractions. These drugs do not always show high efficiency, so the advisability of taking them should be discussed with your doctor.
In exceptional cases, therapy may include antipsychotic drugs that help normalize metabolic processes in the human brain. The main negative feature of these drugs is the high probability of the body becoming addicted toactive component. In this regard, antipsychotics are prescribed with increased caution.
In any case, the treatment of a nervous tic involves an integrated approach and a combination of different groups of drugs. It should also be borne in mind that a nervous tic is a relapsing disease and can return at any time.
Therapeutic gymnastics
There are special exercises for the facial muscles, which make it possible to relax the tense area and thereby reduce the frequency of involuntary contractions. Gymnastics includes the following exercises:
1. Blink for a minute at a fast pace.
2. First, close your eyelids tightly, and then sharply stick out your eyes. Do several repetitions until tearing appears. After the tears flow, you need to stop.
3. The eyelids are loosely closed until the appearance of trembling in the eyes. Every possible effort must be made to stop the trembling without completely closing the eyelids.
4. At the final stage of gymnastics, you need to calmly close your eyelids and do a light massage with your fingertips. You should make circular movements without pressing hard on the eyelids.
Performance of these exercises helps to acquire control over the muscles of the eyes, as well as to relax tense areas of the face. Gymnastics allows you to relax every 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?
Folktreatments
Quite often it is possible to get rid of a nervous tic 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 allow you to relieve tension and hypertonicity. At the same time, after the very cause of tic development is eliminated, the symptoms will gradually subside after some time.
Traditional medicine suggests using the following natural pharmaceutical remedies for the treatment of nervous tics:
- Valerian rhizome tincture. It normalizes the work of the central nervous system, and also helps to eliminate insomnia. It is recommended to take before bed, especially for patients who show emotional instability.
- Motherwort tincture. Effectively lowers blood pressure, and also has a slight sedative effect. Motherwort perfectly copes with nervous strain, eliminates insomnia and stress. The instructions for the tincture indicate the required dosage and duration of administration.
Phytotea 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 traditional methods of treatment, one should also strengthenbody, take vitamin complexes.
Now we know how to get rid of the nervous tic of the eye.
Prevention
The main preventive measure for a nervous tic is the reduction of situations that lead to stress. Frequent and prolonged stay in a state of emotional stress leads to malfunctions of the nervous system. If possible, sleep disturbances should be avoided, as well as high mental stress during work. You should also consult a doctor in a timely manner if you suspect an eye disease of an infectious origin.
Tics are often caused by mental he alth problems, so it is important to learn how to relax your muscles properly and as fully as possible. As auxiliary methods, sports, swimming, yoga and outdoor walks will help to cope with this task.
It is necessary to avoid the state of overwork, strictly normalizing the working regime, excluding, if possible, heavy loads and overwork. A warm bath with essential oils and sea s alt will help you get through the stress of the day.
We looked at the causes of the nervous tic of the eye in adults.
