What is Blepharospasm might you ask? The word is split into two different words when you break it down, the word Blepharo which means ‘Eye Lid” and the word Spasm which means “uncontrolled muscle contraction. So with that being said it is an abnormal blinking or eyelid ticking or twitching resulting from any cause. (BEB) is a rare neurological disorder of muscles around the eyes. They have a lot of spasms that come and go called intermittent. Early stage symptoms of this disease can start with twitching of the eyes, blinking and eye irritation. The causes of the disease benign essential blepharaospasm are still unknown. Researchers speculates from there research that it may be from multifactorial things such as (the interaction of certain genetic
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It’s said that around 2k new individuals of BEB are diagnosed with this disease every year. The ratio of the benign essential blepharospasm disease is five per 100,000 people in the United States. Blepharospasm can be induced by drugs, such as those used to treat Parkinson's disease. When it is due to antiparkinsonian drugs, reducing the dose alleviates the problem. In some cases blepharospasm may result from the genetics alone, whereas others might be genetically susceptible to BEB. In conclusion there is no lab test that exists to make a definitive decision of BEB but all the diagnosis are based off clinical evaluation and detailed patient history. Treatment of BEB consists of oral drug therapy, focal injections of botulinum toxin (four different brands are available in the USA) or surgery to remove eyelid muscle, used alone or in conjunction with the botulinum toxin injections. Approximately one-third of affected individuals are treated with oral medications (drug therapy) specifically anticholinergic drugs and with dopamine depletes such as tetrabenazine. The results of these drug treatments are usually moderate or unsatisfactory and often temporary. Additional drugs that have been used to treat BEB include clonazepam, trihexyphenidyl, diazepam, and baclofen. (Hallett, Evinger, Stacy, &Jankovic,
It’s said that around 2k new individuals of BEB are diagnosed with this disease every year. The ratio of the benign essential blepharospasm disease is five per 100,000 people in the United States. Blepharospasm can be induced by drugs, such as those used to treat Parkinson's disease. When it is due to antiparkinsonian drugs, reducing the dose alleviates the problem. In some cases blepharospasm may result from the genetics alone, whereas others might be genetically susceptible to BEB. In conclusion there is no lab test that exists to make a definitive decision of BEB but all the diagnosis are based off clinical evaluation and detailed patient history. Treatment of BEB consists of oral drug therapy, focal injections of botulinum toxin (four different brands are available in the USA) or surgery to remove eyelid muscle, used alone or in conjunction with the botulinum toxin injections. Approximately one-third of affected individuals are treated with oral medications (drug therapy) specifically anticholinergic drugs and with dopamine depletes such as tetrabenazine. The results of these drug treatments are usually moderate or unsatisfactory and often temporary. Additional drugs that have been used to treat BEB include clonazepam, trihexyphenidyl, diazepam, and baclofen. (Hallett, Evinger, Stacy, &Jankovic,