Blepharospasm

A blepharospasm (from Greek: blepharo, eyelid, and spasm, an uncontrolled muscle contraction), is any abnormal contraction or twitch of the eyelid. It normally refers to benign essential blepharospasm, a focal dystonia—a neurological movement disorder involving involuntary and sustained contractions of the muscles around the eyes. Essential indicates that the cause is unknown, but fatigue, stress, or an irritant are possible contributing factors. In most cases, symptoms last for a few days then disappear without treatment, but sometimes the twitching is chronic and persistent, causing lifelong challenges. In those rare cases, the symptoms are often severe enough to result in functional blindness. The person's eyelids feel like they are...