Do you blink your eyes too much? Is this uncontrolled eyelid twitching hindering your daily tasks? Or is uncontrolled eye blinking shattering your confidence, affecting your personal and professional life? You are probably suffering from a spastic eyelid disorder, called blepharospasm — a neurological condition characterized by abnormal contraction of the eyelid muscles.
There are two types of blepharospasm, essential and reflex. The former is a focal dystonia, a neurological disorder which involves involuntary contractions of muscles controlling eyelid movement. Though cause of benign essential blepharospasm is unknown, stress, fatigue or an irritant can be the factors behind this condition. Most of the times symptoms of blepharospasm disappear after a few days, without requiring any treatment. However, sometimes this eyelid twitching is persistent and chronic, affecting the individual’s ability to do routine tasks, such as reading, driving or working on computer or laptop. At times these symptoms are severe enough to cause functional blindness.
If this is the case, the patient needs proper treatment. What makes this condition worse is not being able to diagnose it in early stages. Until a few years ago, blepharospasm was often initially misdiagnosed as an allergy or dry-eye syndrome. But once diagnosed, it can be treated successfully – courtesy technological advancements in ophthalmology. One effective treatment, equally popular among the patients and doctors, is Botox for blepharospasm.
Using a fine needle, Botox is injected directly in the muscles around the eyes, controlling the eyelid movement. The toxin works by temporarily paralyzing the muscles, thereby alleviating symptoms of blepharospasm. Botulinum treatment offers instant relief from this miserable condition and the effects generally last for 3 to 4 months, depending on the technique used and severity of the problem.