Left eye twitching means good fortune, right eye twitching means disaster? Don't be superstitious, it's actually your body "warning"

“If your left eyelid twitches, good things are about to happen. Either you will get a promotion or you will get rich…” I wonder if you have ever heard this joyous song.

As the saying goes, "left eye twitching means good fortune, right eye twitching means disaster." However, if your eyelids twitch frequently and repeatedly, and are accompanied by involuntary twitching of the corners of your mouth, it may not be a "good thing" and you may have facial spasm.

There are only two possibilities for eyelid twitching: there is a disease or there is no disease.

Cheng Junqun, director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Changsha Yuxiang Hospital, introduced: Eyelid twitching can be divided into two types: physiological twitching and pathological twitching.

1. Physiological beating

For example, if you often stay up late, are under great pressure, are tired, or stare at electronic screens for a long time, your eyelids may twitch occasionally, but they will soon be relieved after resting or applying hot compresses. There is no need to worry about this situation.

2. Pathological beating

This type of eyelid twitching is caused by diseases, such as hemifacial spasm, bilateral blepharospasm, Meige syndrome, masseter spasm, sequelae of facial paralysis, etc.

If you or your friends and family clearly point out the problem of eyelid twitching, you need to take it seriously and go to the hospital as soon as possible to find out what is causing the eyelid twitching.

1. What is hemifacial spasm?

Hemifacial spasm is a common clinical, slowly progressive peripheral cranial nerve disease, often manifested by twitching of one eyelid, gradually extending to the corners of the mouth and facial muscles. In severe cases, it can cause twitching of the mandible and neck muscles.

A small number of patients may experience headaches and tinnitus. In severe cases, they may have difficulty opening their eyes and crooked mouth, which often worsens when they are emotionally excited or tired.

This disease is more common in people over 45 years old. Both men and women may suffer from it, but it is more common in women. In recent years, the incidence rate has tended to be younger. Hemifacial spasm generally does not get better naturally, and the symptoms will gradually worsen.

2. How to treat hemifacial spasm?

1. Drug treatment

Phenytoin sodium, carbamazepine, etc. can relieve spasm symptoms, but it is difficult to cure them. They may have certain effects in the early stages, but the longer the course of treatment, the worse the effect, and ultimately they are ineffective.

Adverse reactions such as liver and kidney damage, dizziness, drowsiness, leukopenia, ataxia, tremor, etc. may occur. The most serious allergic reaction may lead to exfoliative dermatitis and endanger life.

2. Botulinum toxin injection therapy

Local botulinum toxin injections in the face are effective initially, with complete relief and significant improvement of spasm symptoms occurring in about 3 to 6 months after one injection. However, as the course of the disease prolongs and the number of injections increases, the efficacy gradually decreases, and repeated use can lead to facial stiffness.

3. Neuromicrovascular decompression

Since the root cause of most hemifacial spasms occurs inside the skull and is caused by vascular compression, the hemifacial spasm can be cured by removing the arteries that compress the facial nerve inside the skull and fixing them with padding material so that the blood vessels no longer contact the nerves, protecting the nerves from compression and eliminating the facial twitching symptoms.

This type of neuromicrovascular decompression is currently internationally recognized as the only treatment method that can cure hemifacial spasm.

all in all:

If the following occurs:

1. Eyelid twitching lasts for more than 3 months without any relief and tends to gradually worsen;

2. Eyelids completely closed and difficulty opening eyes;

3. Accompanied by facial muscle twitching;

4. Red, sore or tearful eyes.

Be sure to seek medical attention promptly and undergo special examinations!

If your eyelids are always twitching, it doesn't mean that good fortune has come. It is likely that the facial nerve in the brain is being compressed by the blood vessels, causing hemifacial spasm.

Hemifacial spasm is a curable disease. Don't be overly anxious, because anxiety can also make the disease worse. Patients with hemifacial spasm should have a regular daily life and diet, a combination of work and rest, and avoid staying up late, overwork, long-term eye use, etc. Hemifacial spasm can be cured through minimally invasive surgery. Patients are advised to consult regular hospitals.

Source: Department of Neurosurgery, Changsha Yuxiang Hospital

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(Edited by YT)