What is blepharospasm?
Blepharospasm is an involuntary spasm of the circular muscle that helps us close our eyes. If the spasms are severe then patients can feel that they blink uncontrollably to the extent that their vision is very compromised.
What are the symptoms of blepharospasm?
In the early stages, blepharospasm is characterised by frequent or forced blinking, and eye irritation that is often worsened by certain conditions such as bright lights, tiredness, stress or environmental factors. If the frequency of the muscle spasms increase, they may cause involuntary narrowing or closure of the opening between the eyelids making it progressively harder to keep the eyes open. While blepharospasm does not affect vision, prolonged narrowing or closure of the opening between of the eyelids may cause functional vision difficulties.
What are the causes of blepharospasm?
Primary blepharospasm is a term used for eyelid twitching, fluttering or blinking where there is no known underlying cause. In some cases, primary blepharospasm may be due to genetics. Secondary blepharospasm results from other conditions which affect the eyes or the nervous system such as an eye or brain injury, blepharitis, an infection, inflammation, dry eye, medications, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease.
What is the treatment for blepharospasm?
Most cases of blepharospasm can be treated effectively with several small injections of Botulinum Toxin into the affected muscle. This temporarily paralyses the muscle and stops the spasms. Injections usually have a beneficial effect for between 6 weeks and 3 months before the Botulinum Toxin wears off and the injections need repeating.