Why do we sometimes have the eyelid that jiggles? – West France evening edition

Who has never felt his eye flicker for no reason? Light or frankly annoying, this spasm can last a few minutes and then disappear, or return intermittently for several hours. In the majority of cases, there is no need for concern: this tremor is benign and affects a large proportion of healthy people, regardless of age and gender.

This eyelid twitch , hardly noticeable, is called "benign fasciculation syndrome" or "myokymia". This disorder is characterized by an involuntary muscle contraction.

" He testifies to a hyperexcitability of the nerve fiber ", underlines Philipe Damier, neurologist at the University Hospital of Nantes. In a word, it is a small muscle that is abnormally overexcited that "jumps" the eyelid. But few studies have been done and the exact causes of this excitement remain unclear.

Fatigue, stress, coffee

If this tremor is unpredictable, the medical profession has identified some factors that favor its appearance. Often, the eye starts to quiver in times of stress and overwork. "It's the body that tells me to pay attention", summarizes Frédéric Mouriaux, ophthalmologist at the University Hospital of Rennes. The excessive consumption of coffee and other stimulating substances such as tobacco or alcohol, also helps to trigger these small shakes in the eyelid.

In any case, there is no miracle cure. You just have to rest, find a better balance, play sports and avoid spending time in front of the screens. "Making a stressful video game or staying on your laptop before falling asleep prevents the body from relaxing, from resting, but screens are not a direct cause," specifies Frédéric Mouriaux. [19659007Thebestremedyistherest!(Photo:JustinTallis/AFP)

The ophthalmologist sometimes prescribes magnesium to his patients. This trace element found in cereals, green vegetables, pulses or chocolate, helps reduce fatigue and stress. Approximately 70% of French people are below recommended nutritional intake.

When the tremor is pathological

This tremor of the eyelid can also be a tic, a behavioral disorder: in this case, he sees himself , but it remains benign.

However, if the tremor is constant, persists for several months and forces to close the eyelids, it is the sign of a pathology, warns Frédéric Mouriaux. This is called blepharospasm. "The repercussions are important : the spasm is seen and embarrbades the patients in their daily life", details the ophthalmologist. Some medications that treat mental illness result in blepharospasm that disappears after treatment. In the most severe cases, patients with this condition receive injections of botulinum toxin every three or four months to "block" these tremors.

More rarely, patients with paralysis Facial, Tourette's syndrome or Parkinson's disease suffer from blepharospasm. "But in these cases, the disease has already been detected for a long time, it is not this symptom that alerts", explains Frédéric Mouriaux.