Hemifacial Spasms

Hemifacial spasm is a neurological and muscular disease that manifests as involuntary, painless muscle twitching on one side of the face. Lip muscle spasms are commonly used as a synonym for hemifacial spasms.

Causes

The root of hemifacial spasm varies from person to person. Sometimes, there just isn’t a good explanation for what’s happening to a patient. Most cases of hemifacial spasm can be traced back to one of these common underlying conditions:

  • Injuries to the facial nerves
  • A facial nerve being compressed by a tumour or a blood vessel.
  • Impairment caused by multiple sclerosis (MS)

Symptoms

Symptoms of a hemifacial spasm include:

  • Muscles on one side of the face twitch involuntarily.
  • Facial muscle twitching that originates in the eye area and radiates outwards
  • Initially infrequent twitching that gradually becomes more recurrent

Diagnosis

  • Physical exam
  • MRI

Treatment

Treatment plan may include medications, surgery and botox injections