Symptoms
Hemifacial spasm is a disorder in its own right, which is manifested by mostly painless unilateral facial twitching and cramping. The symptoms may also look like a unilateral eye blink and are often misinterpreted as a “tic”.
Complaints/Symptoms
Causes
However, the cause (similar to the very painful trigeminal neuralgia) is a vascular loop inside the head (where the nerve exits the brain), which presses on the nerve and triggers the muscle twitching. Rarely, the cause can also be a tumor pressing on the nerve or simple inflammation of the nerve.
Treatment/progression
Injections with botulinum toxin are usually administered to treat the condition, as these are particularly effective in the case of pathologically increased muscle activation. Patients are regularly seen for this in the special consultation for botulinum toxin treatment.
