What is blepharospasm?
Blepharospasm is a neurological disorder that is a spasm of the muscles around the eye, which is manifested by frequent, uncontrolled eyelid movements. At this time, the patient cannot control the muscles responsible for closing and opening the eye and suffers from frequent, involuntary blinking.
Without diagnosis and treatment, blepharospasm is characterized by a worsening of the condition. Over time, blinking becomes more frequent and in some cases leads to involuntary eye closure for several hours, which is referred to as functional blindness.
Blepharospasm affects up to 2.5 million people worldwide, is more common in women and is characteristic of middle age. It can greatly bother the patient and cause anxiety and depression, affect the ability to drive and the quality of work. Therefore, its timely diagnosis and proper symptomatic treatment are very important.
What are the causes of blepharospasm?
Doctors distinguish between primary and secondary blepharospasm.
Primary blepharospasm is a condition that develops independently of other diseases. Its exact cause has not been established.
As for secondary blepharospasm, it is caused by another condition such as:
- Conjunctivitis;
- Blepharitis;
- Uveitis;
- Seventh nerve dysfunction;
- Refractive anomaly;
- Parkinson's disease;
- Neurasthenia.
Blepharospasm can also develop as a result of exposure to high-intensity light and various medications.
What are the symptoms of blepharospasm?
Blepharospasm is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Involuntary movement of the eye muscles;
- More frequent than normal blinking;
- Limited ability to open the closed eye for a period of time;
- Dry eyes;
- Sensitivity to light;
- Burning sensation in the eye;
- Eye pain;
- Eye watering.
The symptoms usually occur in both eyes when the patient is awake and disappear during sleep.
What are the risk factors for developing blepharospasm?
Scientifically proven risk factors for developing blepharospasm are:
- Age - blepharospasm is more likely to develop in patients between the ages of 50 and 70.
- Gender - involuntary, uncontrolled blinking is more common in female patients.
- Genetic factors - studies have shown that 20-30% of patients with blepharospasm have a family history of the condition. Therefore, it can be considered a genetically inherited condition.
- Stress and fatigue - stress and fatigue can trigger and increase the frequency of attacks of the disease.
How is blepharospasm diagnosed?
Blepharospasm is diagnosed based on physical and neurological examination. Both an ophthalmologist and a neurologist may be involved in the diagnostic process. Before making a diagnosis, the doctor obtains information about the patient's complaints, performs a physical examination of the eye, measures blink rate, and checks for control ability.
To rule out other conditions, the doctor may order magnetic resonance imaging or electromyography during diagnosis.
How is blepharospasm treated?
There is no complete cure for blepharospasm, but doctors can control symptoms with a variety of treatments including:
Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections - in this case, the doctor injects a small amount of botulinum toxin into the muscle around the eyelid. The injection reduces or completely eliminates the spasm for several months.
Spectacles - light can sometimes increase blepharospasm, in which case the doctor may prescribe light-protective spectacles that the patient must wear throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.
Change of medication - if blepharospasm is caused by taking a medication, the doctor may replace it with another medication.
Surgery - when other treatments fail, surgery to dissect some of the muscles around the eye is indicated for blepharospasm.
