Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Blepharospasm

Lately, my eyes have been twitching a lot, my right eye more so than my left. Blepharospasm is the fancy-schmancy name for it. Common causes include stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, and prolonged staring at a computer screen or television.

Can you say "all of the above"?

My co-worker Talksa (not her real name) told me to soak a chamomile tea bag and put it on my eye. Home remedy, according to Talksa. I was so desperate this afternoon that I put a warm wet Bigelow Cozy Chamomile tea bag on my right eye at the office. Did it help? Not really. Perhaps Talksa just wanted me to look silly at work. Nothing says "professional" like a tea bag on your eye.

The Internet informs me that, because stress and/or anxiety often causes eye twitching, a good preventive measure is to keep stress down. One should also get plenty of rest and minimize caffeine consumption. While bothersome, the twitching is generally harmless and will resolve itself without treatment.

Keep stress down? Get plenty of rest? Minimize caffeine?

Sounds like I'm doomed to a lifetime of blepharospasm.

9 comments:

  1. my grandma would say that someone must be talking about you.

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  2. Interesting that I saw something on the news about this condition a couple days ago. Any time this happens to me I tap hubbs or the kid and say, "Look! Look at my eye twitching. Can you see it?". The answer is usually no. So I go look at it in the mirror myself to see it. Why does this fascinate me so much?

    How does an insomniac ridden lawyer reduce stress, get plenty of rest, and minimize caffeine? You're screwed. If it makes you feel better I'll always say yes I see it twitching. :)

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  3. i am DYING at the visual i get of you in your work attire, sitting at your desk with a TEA BAG on your eye.

    and, please forgive my 4th grade sense of humor. [continuing to giggle at "tea bag"]

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  4. thanks for putting a name to that stupid eye twitch. as if you aren't anxious and sleep deprived enough when you get that stupid thing, that's enough to push anyone over the edge. i think the only cure is to sleep. cos that's what your body's trying to tell you to do.

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  5. For real, wanna be creeped out to the highest? I've been having the past thing for the past three days - but with my left eye. I think we might be opposite sides of the same coin. Remember Two-Face from Batman? I'm Drew Barrymore and you're Debra Mazar (you know cause I'm all sweetness and light)

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  6. my husband suffers from this occasionally. i agree it's probably a result of all the things you mentioned, but don't you think there may be some association to cell phones and bluetooth? we joke that when his eye twitches, he can't use his cell phone. just a little beta test that we conduct...regardless, twitches are annoying!

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  7. I always think its cool when my eye twitches. I'd pick an eye twitch over a panic attack any day to let me know i'm stressed and should slow it down!

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  8. I get that from lack of sleep, too. The solution for you? Close and lock your office door and take a nap :)

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  9. I have contacts on and they're killing me. Once I twitched and some really guy thought I was coming on to him!! I should have gone for it as his family were wealthy ! SHUCKS! :( :)

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