Left-eye twitch: Myth vs science

Across India, eyelid twitching carries a busy folklore.

- TDG NETWORK

A flutter in the left eye is read as a warning in some homes and a lucky sign in others; for many, it is casually linked to money, news, or an approaching visitor. Medicine offers a less poetic answer—and, for most people, a reassuring one: the commonest eyelid twitch is a benign muscle phenomenon called eyelid myokymia.

Myokymia is an involuntary, fine contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle, the ring of muscle that closes the eyelid. It usually affects one eyelid (often the lower lid), comes in short bursts, and disappears on its own. It is not a reliable signal of fate. It is more often a signal of physiology: a tired nervous system, a dry or irritated ocular surface, or a stimulant-heavy routine.