Core Tip: Regarding eyelid twitching, there is a folk saying: "left is auspicious, right is inauspicious." Although that is a superstitious belief, from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, eyelid twitching may be related to the health of the spleen and stomach.
The eyelid is responsible for closing the eye and is composed of the orbicularis oculi muscle surrounding the eye. What we call an eyelid twitch is actually caused by the abnormal excitement of the nerve controlling the eyelid muscle. This means that some muscle fibers of the orbicularis oculi cannot stop contracting on their own for a short period, causing the skin above them to twitch.
Generally, eyelid twitching occurs more frequently when you are overly tired, use your eyes for too long, or have insufficient sleep. Other factors, such as stimulation from bright light or medication, foreign objects getting into the eye, or frequent smoking and drinking can also irritate the eyes and cause eyelid twitching.
The most common eyelid twitch is "myokymia" of the orbicularis oculi muscle, lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes. In normal cases, it will automatically recover after a while. You can also close your eyes to rest, apply a warm towel to the eye, and maintain a balanced daily diet and sufficient sleep to shorten the duration of the twitch.
If your eyelid twitches incessantly, you should see a doctor immediately. If your eyelid twitch is accompanied by twitching of the muscles on one side of your face, your eyebrows, and the corner of your mouth, it may be a spasmodic phenomenon caused by stimulation of the facial nerve and should be actively treated; otherwise, it may lead to facial paralysis and crooked eyes.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, on the other hand, believes that eyelid twitching is caused by damage to the heart and spleen from long-term illness and overwork, or by wind generated from long-term blood deficiency in the liver and spleen.
If it is caused by deficiency of both the heart and spleen, and is accompanied by symptoms such as insomnia, forgetfulness, vexation, palpitations, poor appetite, and physical fatigue, it can be treated with modified "Gui Pi Tang." If it is caused by blood deficiency generating wind, with constant twitching that is uncontrollably linked to the eyebrow, forehead, face, and corner of the mouth, it can be treated with modified "Dang Gui Huo Xue Yin."