Subtle twitches, flickers, spasms and quivers around the eye, eyelid and brow can be such a nuisance! Sometimes these twitches are unnoticed by others but can still cause a sense of insecurity. "So why is this happening?" "How do I make it stop?" As always, this blog explores my clinical anecdotal experiences and references to other studies to support these claims. This is intended for educational purposes and is not intended as medical advice.
Introduction
As a Holistic Health Practitioner, frequent eye twitches, amongst other symptoms, provide valuable clinical insight into health status and possible contributors to chronic illness. It is important to review all present symptoms and look for patterns rather than hyperfocus on any single symptom. Seldom does the individual symptom provide any insight at all. It is the overall symptom presentation and pattern that provides the most actionable information. It is also important to be aware of any other contributors as to not jump to conclusions. Let's start with some of the obvious contributors.
Common contributors to eye twitches:
Excess caffeine intake
Insufficient magnesium levels
Dehydration
Increased stress levels
Excessive alcohol consumption
Fatigue
Usually addressing the above should result in reduction, or cessation, of eye twitches, spams or quivers. However, if you've addressed these and the twitches continue, then there may be an underlying contributor(s). Let's explore the less common, but possible, reasons for this annoying symptom.
Less common contributors to eye twitches:
Borrelia infection (Lyme disease) and/or other tick-borne infections
Mold and mycotoxin toxicity
Clostridia infection (this is hypothesized due to the organism's production of Toxin A and B and its effects on the digestive system, nervous system and correlation to brain lesions)
There are possibly more that we aren't aware of at this time
The complexity of eye twitches increases with these possibilities. Mold, Lyme and other infections deplete the body of minerals, cause fatigue, which commonly leads to excess caffeine intake which leads to dehydration - and the cycle continues. Chasing symptom origins rarely offers much insight because symptoms tend to be cyclic. Let's not forget that you have the right to have more than one thing wrong!
Insight
As a practitioner, nearly every Lyme client of mine also has mold illness. Which came first? Doesn't matter, both gotta go! But if both are present, it is important to not close the case. The burden of Lyme and mold on the immune system allows for other opportunistic infections/overgrowths. I've found it to be helpful to investigate further and look for things like Epstein Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus, Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, and other Lyme Co-infections.
Clients that have a combination of these tend to be more complex and less responsive to care. This also speaks to the poor responsiveness to care. Commonly, if and when Lyme or mold are found, the practitioner loses their peripheral vision and chases the individual finding. If the other unknown infections are never uncovered and addressed, the client can be stuck in a cycle of chasing a fraction of the issue.
How do I know if I have Lyme, Mold, or any other chronic infections?
So naturally, this brings us to: How do I know if I have Lyme, Mold, or any other chronic infections? In short, you work with me, or someone like me, and do a thorough intake and investigation. However, if you're still not sold on having these infections, here are some common symptom patterns that would increase the likelihood of these.
Chronic infection/overgrowth symptom patterns (usually 3 or more are present):
Migrating joint pain
Depression that doesn't respond to herbals or pharmaceuticals
Anxiety that doesn't respond to herbals or pharmaceuticals
Chronic fatigue
Sleep disturbances
Unexplained digestive distress
Exercise intolerance (mood shifts from exercise/activity)
Skin symptoms (eczema, hives, rosacea, rash)
Muscle pain, spasms, tremors
Fibromyalgia
Chemical sensitivities (MCAS)
Hormone imbalance
Food sensitivities
Really, no symptom is off limits when it comes to these complex and chronic illnesses. However, if you have at least 3 of the above and other symptoms, then the likelihood is there, and in my opinion, warrants investigation.
How to investigate
Every practitioner has their preferred method of testing. Through trial and error, these are the tests that I found to offer the best insight:
Vibrant Wellness Tickborne Panel 1.0
Mosaic Diagnostics Organic Acid Test + Mycotoxin Profile
Diagnostic Solutions GI-MAP
Serum antibody testing
If you are going to do one, I recommend doing all of them at the same time. Get all the pieces at once so you may heal faster.
Conclusion
If your eye twitches, drink some water, take magnesium, decrease caffeine and alcohol consumption and get some rest. If the eye twitch persists, thoroughly investigate and heal the root cause. If you'd like additional insight or suspect you have a complex condition, you can schedule a free consultation with me here: https://calendly.com/redefinedhealth/freeconsult
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