Left Eye Jumping
Why is my left eye jumping? What does that mean? Is it good or bad? Find out the various causes of eye twitching, myths and superstitions and ways to stop your left eye from jumping.
Tiny nerve fibers which innervate the eyelids enable their precise and synchronized movements. Eyelid movements allow blinking, and blinking is important in order to keep the cornea (the front surface of the eyeball) from drying. Any slight disturbance in the nervous system, local or systemic, can cause inappropriate innervation, which results in eye jumping or eye twitching. In this case, the eyeballs do not actually move, but the twitches of the eyelid create that sort of sensation which is interpreted as eye jumping or twitching. You are about to find out what are the most common causes of eye twitching, some issues related with it, and how it can be managed.
Why is my Eye Jumping?
Chronic Fatigue
One of the most common causes of eye jumping is chronic fatigue, which stems from long working hours. If you are sitting in front of the computer all day and if your job is associated with stress, you have certainly experienced an eye jumping sensation many times during life. Chronic fatigue is a very common issue in modern population.
Alcohol consumption
Increased and prolonged alcohol intake can also cause eye jumping. Usually, this symptom appears after drinking and it can last for several hours. Alcohol withdrawal irritates the nervous system, so chronic alcoholics are at higher risk of this symptom, but also of more severe symptoms related to muscle cramps and even seizures. Vitamin deficiency in alcoholics contributes greatly to all the adverse effects they may experience from alcohol abuse.
Energy drinks
Energy drinks and a drinking a lot of coffee irritate tiny nerve endings and can cause eye jumping sensations.
Migraine
One of the causes which is neurological in nature is migraine. There are different types of migraines, associated with different quality of headache, but all of them can produce other neurological symptoms, including eye jumping and twitching. If you also notice blurry vision joined with headache, eye jumping, and some visual sensations, you are probably dealing with some type of migraine. The pain usually starts in one half of the scalp and then spreads to the whole head with characteristic pulsating quality.
Smoking
The nicotine from cigarettes is a strong stimulator of the central nervous system. That is why smoking can contribute to frequent eye jumping. This happens only in susceptible individuals, so not every smoker will experience this issue.
Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal imbalance or a sudden change in hormone levels can cause a variety of symptoms, one of which is eye jumping or twitching. This symptom is very common during pregnancy, especially in the early stage. It is not a sign to take any precautions or to visit a doctor, and it is usually transient and short-term.
Epilepsy
In people with epilepsy, eye jumping and eye twitching can sometimes represent a first sign of an upcoming seizure. If that is your case, make sure to take prescribed medication regularly, in order to prevent new epileptic attacks.
Stress
We came to the most important and most frequent cause of eye jumping, which is stress. Stress can produce this symptom, but it also can aggravate already existing neurological symptoms.
What does it mean when your Left Eye Jumps?
The eyelids are innervated by the ophthalmic nerve, which is a branch of one of the most important cranial nerves – trigeminal nerve. This nerve is originating from the brain stem, so it is very close to the brain. Also, it is designed to coordinate very precise movements, and any disturbance or over excitation of the nervous system can reflect on its function. Eye jumping is not a symptom which should be taken seriously. It is merely an indicator that you have been under stress, drinking a lot of coffee, smoked too many cigarettes, or that you are chronically tired, etc. You can actually consider it a useful reminder that you exaggerated with some non-beneficial behavior which puts stress on your nervous system.
Sometimes, the eye jumping is very subtle and unnoticeable, but in rare cases, it may seem to other people as if you are blinking or winking to them. This can be socially awkward, but still, not a big deal.
Left eye jumping and Superstition
If you are from India and you experience left eye jumping all day, you are in great trouble, especially if you are a male. Apparently, in Indian culture, it is a bad sign in men, but a good sign in women. It is fascinating how many cultures have implemented numerous superstitions about whether the eye jumping is good or bad. There are also specific situations defined, in which eye twitching is considered good or bad, depending on the culture, gender, and other circumstances. In some African cultures, for example, if your left eye is twitching, it means that you will probably cry that day. Interestingly, many cultures consider left eye jumping as a bad sign, while the right eye brings something good. In Hawaiian culture, left eye jumping means that someone will visit your home, while the right eye jumping suggests that a child will be born.
How to Stop your Left Eye from Jumping?
If you have persistent problems with your eye jumping, it can become very irritating. Although probably nothing serious is going on, you should visit your doctor in order to take some advice. These advice will most probably be related to lifestyle changes. Reduce smoking and alcohol intake if you think that it aggravates our eye jumping issue.
Also, lower the intake of energy drinks, coffee, and other caffeine rich drinks. Caffeine can really irritate your nervous system, thus producing these symptoms, and not everyone is equally susceptible to its effect.
requent headache associated with eye jumping might mean that you have migraine problems. In that case, your doctor will probably recommend typical analgesics – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but if they don’t help, don’t worry. There is also a specific therapy for migraines which includes triptans. What you can do yourself is try to get away from much noise and lie down for a while in a dark, quiet room in order to alleviate this and other migraine symptoms.
Taking vitamins and minerals that are good for nerve and muscle function can actually help with eye jumping. Some of them include vitamins B6, B12, C, calcium, and magnesium.
Try to avoid any type of stress as much as you can, as it is one of the main triggers of neurological symptoms, such as eye jumping. If you have problems dealing with stressful situations, you can always ask for professional help. It is better to consult your psychologist from time to time, than to let the stress destroy your body on many different levels.
