Muscle twitching, or fasciculation, is usually harmless and can be caused by stress, caffeine, medication side effects, exercise, or magnesium deficiency. However, if it persists, it may have other causes that should be investigated. Doctors may diagnose benign fasciculation syndrome and treat it with anxiety-reducing measures and medication.
Muscle twitching is also called fasciculation and is usually a harmless transient condition. Many people may have experienced a few days of twitching and commonly it can affect areas such as the eyelid, thumb or other parts of the body. The condition is usually benign and goes away a few days to weeks after it first occurs. If the involuntary movement persists, it may have other causes that should be investigated to rule out serious disease or chemical imbalances.
Some of the very simple causes of muscle twitching include things like stress. A few days of high stress can cause some people to contract a muscle involuntarily. It can become more stressful if a muscle is suddenly acting uncontrollably. In this regard, it is simply important to note that the likelihood of this muscle behavior being anything medically significant is extremely low.
Other times, a person’s behavior or use of certain substances can induce spasms. Too much caffeine intake can make a muscle twitch. Other medications that people normally take could cause twitching as a side effect, and these include many antihistamines, some steroids, and estrogen. Muscles can also contract if people exercise frequently or if people become very low in magnesium. However, the twitching is usually a later sign of magnesium deficiency and is accompanied by other serious signs of electrolyte dysfunction.
Many forms of spasms require absolutely no treatment and resolve quickly. This isn’t always the case, and when a muscle’s contraction continues for some time, doctors may want to rule out potential serious causes. Muscle dysfunction of this type is in some cases associated with conditions such as Lyme disease, muscular dystrophy or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Injury to the muscles could also cause a twitch, and repairing that muscle when possible could help end it.
There are other symptoms associated with the twitching if it is caused by a serious condition such as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Muscles may be weak or have decreased in size, and people may notice differences in how things feel throughout the body. It cannot be stressed enough that most repetitive involuntary muscle contractions are not related to these diseases. However, a doctor should evaluate continuous contractions in a muscle that last for more than a few days.
Doctors may be able to rule out some conditions when they examine and test those who have experienced contractions, but they can’t always find the cause. Many people who have this condition leave the doctor’s office with a diagnosis of benign fasciculation syndrome (BFS). Other symptoms associated with this condition can include fatigue and muscle cramps. Ongoing treatment for BFS may involve working to reduce your anxiety and giving you medications used to treat the tremor.
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