These days, we’re a lot more aware of how big an impact stress can have on our health and wellbeing. We know, for example, that having a particularly stressful week can mess with our immune system (who hasn’t come down with a cold after a big deadline has passed?) and wreak havoc on our sleep. But there are still some weird symptoms that can be hard to understand.

Perhaps one of the most bizarre is facial twitching. If you’ve ever felt your eye flinching while you’re reading your emails or experienced spasms in your cheek during a big meeting, you’ll know what we’re talking about. It’s almost as if the stress is trying to break out of your skin. 

But what causes this kind of facial twitching, and is it something we should be worried about? To find out more we spoke to Dr Rebecca Rohrer, medical director at Bupa UK Insurance.  

To understand why stress can lead to facial twitching, you first need to understand how stress can affect your circulatory system. When we’re in a stressful situation, the body is flooded with adrenaline – a hormone which triggers the ‘fight or flight’ response. It’s this hormone that causes our breathing to increase, our blood vessels to dilate and our blood pressure to increase – all of which work to increase the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the muscles. In this way, we’re better prepared to fight or flee from the ‘threat’ our body has identified.

It’s this increase in blood pressure and dilation of the blood vessels that can lead to facial twitching, Dr Rohrer explains. It can be alarming when it first happens – but Dr Rohrer is keen to flag that isn’t as insidious or random as it might seem at first.

“The increase in blood pressure can cause your blood vessels to press against the nerves in your face, leading to that area of your face twitching,” Dr Rohrer says. “It commonly affects the eyelid (known as myokymia) and can then move down to your cheeks or mouth.” 

If you’ve experienced facial twitching outside of stressful situations, don’t worry – there are plenty of reasons why you might experience the odd facial muscle spasm.

For example, factors such as caffeine and alcohol consumption can lead to facial twitching, as can some medications. The increased muscular exertion, nervous system irritation and heightened stress levels that come when we’re tired can also cause random facial twitches.  

The good news is that facial twitching isn’t usually something to worry about – especially if it’s only on occasions where you’re feeling particularly stressed, exhausted or run down.

“Facial twitching is usually temporary and goes away on its own,” Dr Rohrer explains. “However, if it is something that you’re experiencing regularly – for more than two weeks – and it’s affecting more than one place, you should speak to a health professional.”

She continues: “During your appointment, a GP may check to see if any medication you’re taking is causing the twitching or ask you to come back in a few weeks if your twitching continues. In some cases, your GP may refer you to a specialist to get tested for potential conditions that could cause a twitch, such as nerve injuries.”

If your facial twitching is solely related to stress, it is also worth thinking about how you can manage your stress levels in the future. Everyone gets stressed sometimes, but if you’re struggling with stress-induced facial twitching on a regular basis, it could be a sign that you need to incorporate more restful moments into your day or speak to your manager about your workload. 

Images: Getty