| Blepharo means "eyelid". Spasm means "uncontrolled | | | | BEB occurs in both men and women, although it is |
| muscle contraction". The term blepharospasm | | | | especially common in middle-aged and elderly women. |
| ['blef-a-ro-spaz-m] can be applied to any abnormal | | | | The early symptoms of blepharospasm include |
| blinking or eyelid tic or twitch resulting from any | | | | occasional, involuntary winking, blinking, or squinting of |
| cause, ranging from dry eyes to Tourette's | | | | one or both eyes. It may also manifest itself as an |
| syndrome to tardive dyskinesia. The blepharospasm | | | | increased difficulty in keeping the eyes open. Light |
| referred to here is officially called benign essential | | | | sensitivity is a common occurrence with |
| blepharospasm (BEB) to distinguish it from the less | | | | blepharospasm patients. As the condition progresses, |
| serious secondary blinking disorders. "Benign" indicates | | | | the eyelid spasms increase in frequency and severity |
| the condition is not life threatening, and "essential" is | | | | until they are unremitting, leaving both eyelids |
| a medical term meaning "of unknown cause". It is | | | | clamped shut and the eyebrows pulled down. In |
| both a cranial and a focal dystonia. Cranial refers to | | | | some cases, only one eye is affected. |
| the head and focal indicates confinement to one part. | | | | A specific etiology for blepharospasm has yet to be |
| Blepharospasm is a type of dystonia, which indicates | | | | identified. Some patients with blepharospasm report a |
| a sustained muscular contraction of an involuntary | | | | familial occurrence of the affliction. In families with |
| nature. Blepharospasm usually begins with a gradual | | | | autosomal dominant familial dystonia, affected |
| onset, often precipitated by eye irritation or | | | | members may have a generalized or segmental |
| emotional stresses. With progression of the disorder, | | | | dystonia, while other members have various focal |
| episodes of blepharospasm tend to worsen in | | | | dystonias, such as isolated |
| severity, often resulting in embarrassment and even | | | | blepharospasm.blepharospasm (BEB) is a rare |
| loss of vision temporarily due to lid closure. In some | | | | neurological disorder in which affected individuals |
| cases, the spasms are so prolonged and forceful that | | | | experience involuntary muscle spasms and |
| the patient is functionally blind for up to several hours. | | | | contractions of the muscles around the eyes. These |
| What causes Blepharospasm is largely unknown, | | | | spasms come and go (intermittent). Symptoms may |
| although some educated guesses are being made. In | | | | begin as eye twitching, blinking and/or irritation. |
| most cases, blepharospasm seems to develop | | | | Eventually, BEB causes involuntary closure of the |
| spontaneously. Some blepharospasm patients have a | | | | eyes. The exact cause of BEB is unknown. The |
| history of dry eyes and/or light sensitivity, but others | | | | disorder is one of a group of disorders collectively |
| report no previous eye problems before onset of | | | | known as dystonia. |
| initial symptoms. | | | | Excessive blinking and/or eye irritation usually signal |
| Generally, the spasms occur during the day, disappear | | | | the onset of blepharospasm. Initially, it may only |
| in sleep, and reappear after waking. As the condition | | | | occur in response to triggers such as stress, |
| progresses, the spasms may intensify, forcing the | | | | tiredness or bright light. If the condition progresses, |
| eyelids to remain closed for long periods of time, and | | | | the spasms happen more frequently. This not only |
| thereby causing substantial visual disturbance or | | | | makes performing everyday tasks difficult, but may |
| functional blindness. It is important to note that the | | | | make it impossible for the affected person to see at |
| blindness is caused solely by the uncontrollable closing | | | | all. |
| of the eyelids and not by a dysfunction of the eyes. | | | | |