Leading Causes Of Muscle Twitches And Spasms

Muscle twitches and spasms affect many individuals. The positive about this, of course, is that most muscle twitches are common and normal. However, some muscle twitches and spasms are signs of a serious disorder or emergency medical condition. A wide variety of conditions can be causing an eyelid that will not stop twitching or a calf muscle that aches so badly. There are certain individuals who experience intense foot cramping that feels as if their bones will break. Whether twitches and spasms are being caused by something as innocuous as stress or something more neurological, there is hope for treatment.

Stress

Stress and anxiety are a common cause of muscle spasms and twitching. Simply put, stress often leads to muscle tension, which puts a strain on the muscles and causes them to spasm. These twitches may be daily or only on certain stressful occasions. A great way to combat stress is to practice meditation and be mindful of the tension in one's body. It is easy to tense up the muscles without realizing it, including facial muscles and shoulders. Anxiety also leads to extra electrical impulses in the brain, which sends it down to the nerves and causes shaking and twitches. The good news is that this is one of the most common causes of this condition; many suffer from it and it can be easily treated with therapy, medications, meditation, and muscle-relaxant techniques.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a famous cause of muscle conditions. Caffeine is a stimulant, not just a byproduct of many individual's favorite drinks and food, and can cause side effects. It is, of course, in coffee and tea but also in chocolate, energy drinks, soft drinks, and some medications. The side effects of caffeine include muscle spasms, twitching, nervousness, headaches, abnormal heartbeat, and restlessness. It also has diuretic symptoms, which means it leads to frequent urination. Caffeine can also cause eye twitches.

So how much is too much caffeine? Generally, the maximum amounts are four hundred milligrams per day for a healthy adult, two hundred milligrams for pregnant women, and one hundred milligrams for adolescents. A twelve-ounce serving of coffee has 260 milligrams and twelve ounces of soda has thirty to seventy milligrams. It is recommended for an individual to wean off of caffeine slowly, however, as quitting cold turkey can cause drowsiness, headaches, and nausea.