Lip twitching comes with a lot of difficulties that can be easily noticed. It brings discomfort and occurs when there is a disconnection between the muscles of your lip and the lip nerve. This miscommunication causes your lips to shake or tremble uncontrollably. Lip twitching occurs on the upper and lower lips separately.
While lip twitching could be harmless, several reports suggest it could be a pointer to an underlying medical condition. Hence, the need to understand the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of lip twitching.
Causes Of Lip Twitching
Caffeine
Excess caffeine in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and snack foods can cause lips to twitch. Caffeine intoxication can also make your muscles twitch; give you jitters and excess energy. So, cutting down your caffeine intake can reduce your lip-twitching.
Stress and fatigue
Too much pressure on your body can tighten your muscles and lead to lip-twitching. If you suddenly experience the twitching of your lips, you should reduce your stress levels.
Potassium Deficiency
Potassium is an electrolyte that carries signal nerves in your body. When you possess low levels of potassium, you may experience lip-twitching. Eat foods with a high potassium content and avoid medications that reduce the potassium level in your system.
Medications
Lip twitching can also be a side effect of over-the-counter drugs. When you purchase such drugs, prioritise reading the side effects, and see your doctor for another prescription if twitching persists.
Drug tremors
Alcohol and narcotics also cause lip twitching. This is because they affect brain function and damage your nerves. Reducing your intake of alcohol could save you from lip-twitching.
Bell’s Palsy
Known as the partial paralysis of the face, Bell’s palsy makes it difficult for people to move their nose, mouth, and eye. Persons suffering from this ailment may also experience lip-twitching.
Hormone Deficiency
This is caused by a medical condition called hypoparathyroidism. Hypoparathyroidism causes muscle weakness, hair loss, and facial twitching. Regular intake of Vitamin D and calcium supplements can help boost your hormones.
Other causes of lip twitching include; Parkinson’s disease, Tourette syndrome, Hemifacial spasms, Lou Gehrig’s disease, etc.
How Lip Twitching Is Diagnosed
As stated earlier, lip twitching can be easily noticed. All your doctor needs to do is ask questions about your lifestyle, to ascertain the cause of your lip twitching. In other cases, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (M.R.I.) test can be conducted on you.
Treatment For Lip Twitching
The treatment of lip-twitching largely depends on the cause. Identify the cause of your lip-twitching and work on it. If your lip twitching persists after changing your lifestyle, it is time to see your doctor.