A Twitch Here, A Twitch There

Over the past month, I've been dealing with an odd physical ailment: the eyelid and skin under my right eye keeps twitching. At first, I thought it was probably imperceptible to other people until one day my wife noticed it. In the past two weeks, it has grown more frequent, occurring a few times every minute.

I finally decided to go see my doctor. He has given me a preliminary diagnosis of blepharospasm.

Blepharospasm is an abnormal, involuntary blinking or spasm of the eyelids.

Blepharospasm is associated with an abnormal function of the basal ganglion from an unknown cause. The basal ganglion is the part of the brain responsible for controlling the muscles. In rare cases, heredity may play a role in the development of blepharospasm.

Most people develop blepharospasm without any warning symptoms. It may begin with a gradual increase in blinking or eye irritation. Some people may also experience fatigue, emotional tension, or sensitivity to bright light. As the condition progresses, the symptoms become more frequent, and facial spasms may develop. Blepharospasm may decrease or cease while a person is sleeping or concentrating on a specific task...

In the last day or so, I've realized that light sensitivity seems to be what aggravates the condition for me, so I've started wearing sun glasses indoors and this appears to diminish the frequency of spasms.

Still, nothing I've tried to date has worked completely. While I have not had any severe problems with my sight, this condition is quite annoying and it has lessened my enthusiasm for reading AND typing on the computer.

My body literally appears to be falling apart. I seem to have more than my fair share of odd chronic ailments. So, why not add another!