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Key Takeaways
- Eye twitching can happen when you have a headache, especially with migraines or cluster headaches.
- Reducing stress, eye strain, and getting enough sleep can help prevent both headaches and eye twitching.
- Botox injections can be injected around the eye to decrease nerve impulses for severe or chronic eye twitching.
An eye twitch (myokymia) is a benign condition that causes involuntary spasms of the eyelid.
An eye twitch is common and can be brought on by certain triggers, such as lack of sleep, caffeine, stress, and allergies. These triggers can also cause headaches.
This article will discuss common causes of eyelid twitching, why it may occur with a headache, and how to treat it.
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Causes of Eyelid Twitching and Headaches
There are two types of headaches that can cause eye twitching: Migraines and cluster headaches.
Migraine
A migraine is a severe type of headache, classified as a neurological condition, that impacts over 39 million Americans. Symptoms of migraines include:
- Moderate to severe head pain that interferes with daily functioning
- Intense pain on one side of the head, both sides, in the front or back of the head, or around the eyes
- Throbbing or pounding head pain
- Pain that worsens with movement
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sensitivity to light
- Aura, which may include flashes of light, blind spots, or shapes that can blur or impair vision
These symptoms may last from four hours to several days and can lead to eyelid twitching, particularly if an aura is present.
Because there is no test used for migraines, a diagnosis can be difficult to make and sometimes missed. Talking with your healthcare provider about the type, severity, duration, and frequency of your symptoms can help determine an appropriate diagnosis.
Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches, also known as Horton’s syndrome, involve intense headaches that occur in cycles, each lasting from one to three hours. These headaches can happen daily, often linked to a sudden release of histamine or serotonin, or triggered by bright lights, exercise, heat, and alcohol.
Symptoms of cluster headaches include:
- Sudden onset of pain around or behind the eyes
- Pain that builds in intensity within 10–15 minutes
- Restlessness or agitation
- Red or watering eyes
- Nasal congestion
- Eyelid drooping, swelling, or twitching
Other Causes of Eye Twitching
Mild eye twitching often results from:
- Stress
- Eye strain from extended screen use
- Certain medications
- Caffeine
- Dry or irritated eyes
- Lack of sleep
These causes may also be associated with mild headaches.
How Long It Lasts
Benign eye twitching usually lasts only a few days and resolves on its own. It often occurs intermittently throughout the day with breaks between spasms.
Continuous all-day twitching is rare. When linked to headaches, eye twitching typically lasts until the headache subsides.
If twitching worsens or persists beyond a week, a more serious condition might be the cause, such as:
Treatment
Eye twitching typically goes away on its own without treatment. You can decrease symptoms by getting more sleep, decreasing caffeine intake, avoiding exposure to bright lights and prolonged use of screens, and keeping your eyes moist with eye drops.
What’s more, alleviating headache symptoms can help decrease eye twitching, and managing many of the triggers that can cause eye twitching can also help decrease the occurrence of headaches.
Medication used to treat headaches, including migraines and cluster headaches, consists of:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and pain-relieving medications like Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen), Aleve (naproxen), and aspirin, or high-dose Tylenol (acetaminophen) to treat acute headaches and migraines
- Migraine prevention medications like Atacand (candesartan), Micardis (telmisartan), Zestril (lisinopril), Topamax (topiramate), Inderal (propranolol), Aimovig (erenumab), Ajovy (fremanezumab), and Emgality (galcanezumab)
- Medications like galcanezumab and triptans to reduce cluster headaches
Injections of Botox (botulinum toxin), magnesium supplementation, high dose oxygen supplementation, and noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation may also be used to treat severe and ongoing headaches.
Underlying conditions causing eye twitching need to be treated and managed first to see any improvement. If severe or chronic eye twitching is unrelated to any neurological or eye condition, small Botox injections can be injected around your eye to decrease nerve impulses to the eyelid and resulting eyelid spasms.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
You should see your primary healthcare provider or eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist) about your eye twitch if:
- Eye twitching lasts longer than one week.
- Twitching affects other parts of your face.
- Your eyelid droops.
- You have difficulty opening or closing your eye.
- Your eye is red, swollen, or emitting a discharge.
These are possible signs of a neurological disorder or condition causing irritation to your eyelid, cornea (clear, protective outer layer of the eye), or conjunctiva (loose connective tissue covering the surface of the eye) of your eye.
If your eye twitch only occurs with headaches, you should see your healthcare provider if:
- You experience severe and/or frequent headaches.
- Your headaches interfere with your daily functioning.
- You experience other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or light sensitivity.
Severe and recurrent headaches are possible signs of migraines or cluster headaches and require medical attention to treat and manage symptoms.