Twitch in the chin is the type of spasm that is caused by damage or irritation to the mental nerve, which is branch of trigeminal nerve also known as the fifth cranial nerve. Facial spasms take place when the muscles contract involuntarily because of irritation in the nerve. In the start they may appear only as small, barely noticeable tics around the chin area . However with time, the twitches may expand to other parts of the face. Twitch in chin can happen to men or women, however they’re most common in women who are over 40. Twitching in the chin isn’t dangerous on it’s own but this constant twitch in the chin can be frustrating or uncomfortable with time. In severe cases, these twitches can limit persons function as they have impact on speaking and moving the mouth area. In few cases, these twitches may indicate that a person may have an underlying condition or an abnormality Or deformity in the facial structure. Either of these above mentioned causes can compress or damage nerves that have connection with the chin and make the chin muscles twitch
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What are the symptoms of twitch in chin ?
The very first symptom is involuntarily chin twitching. Muscle contractions often begin in chin and can then start else where too like in eyelids. One may notice that the twitching becomes more pronounced when a person is stressed or anxious or tired. Sometimes, these spasms can cause the mouth to close completely. With time, this twitching may also spread to other parts of the face including:
- eyebrows
- cheek
- area around the mouth, like lips
- jaw
- upper neck
In few cases, these twitches can spread to every muscle in the face even sometimes when a person is sleeping. As the twitches spread out, one can also notice other symptoms, like :
- Changes in the ability to hear
- Changes in the ability to chew
- Changes in the ability to talk
- Ringing in the ears
- Sudden twitches that go down the entire face
What are the causes of twitch in chin ?
The concerned doctor may not be able to find out the exact cause of the twitch in chin as it is idiopathic most of the times.
Mental nerve injury ( trigeminal neuralgia)
These twitches are often caused by irritation or damage to the mental nerve which serves the chin. They’re commonly caused by a blood vessel pushing on the mental nerve when something like this happens, the mental nerve may act on its own, sending out nerve signals which may cause the muscles of the chin to twitch. This process is known as an ephaptic transmission, and it’s one of the causes of these twitches
Trauma to head or face
Any injury to the head or face can also cause twitch in the chin because of damage or compression of the mental nerve.
Anxiety and stress
Anxiety and stress can cause twitching anywhere in the body including the chin. This has been seen in many people who suffer from extreme anxiety and stress.
Fatigue
Severe fatigue can tire up persons muscles and mental state too which can lead to twitching including in the chin.
Excess caffeine
It’s a well known things seen in people who consume too much caffeine suffer twitches in general, including the twitch in chin. So people should keep there coffee consumption in check regarding with this.
More uncommon causes of twitch in chin may include:
Tumors
Any tumour, be it one or more tumors pushing on mental nerve can lead to twitching in the chin, however it’s not that common but can happen.
Bell’s palsy
It’s a medical condition which can cause part of the face to be temporarily paralyzed and side effect of that sometimes is twitching in the face including chin
What is the treatment of twitch in chin?
It’s possible to be able to reduce the symptoms at home simply by getting plenty of rest and limiting how much caffeine a person drinks per day , which can calm the nerves. Having diet full of nutrients can also help reduce the spasms, including:
- Vitamin D, which a person can get from eggs, milk, and sunlight.
- Magnesium, which a person can get from almonds and bananas
- Chamomile, which is available as a tea or in the form of tablets.
- Blueberries, which are full of muscle-relaxing antioxidants
The most common treatment for these twitches is an oral muscle relaxer which keeps the muscles from twitching. The concerned doctor may recommend one or more of the following medications to relax the facial muscles:
- Baclofen
- Clonazepam
- Carbamazepine
- Botulinum toxin type A that is Botox injections are also commonly used to treat twitching. In this treatment, the doctor will use a needle to inject small amounts of this Botox into the patients face near the muscles which are twitching as Botox makes the muscles weak and can has the capability to reduce the spasms for three to six months before a person needs another injection.
It’s always best to talk to the doctor before taking any of the medications and about any possible side effects or interactions with other medications a person may already be taking.
If in case medications and the Botox injections didn’t prove to be useful, the concerned doctor may also recommend surgery sometimes to relieve any pressure on the nerve which may be caused by a tumor pressing it or a blood vessel. A common surgery which is used to treat these twitches is called a microvascular decompression. In this very specific procedure, the doctor drills a small opening in the skull behind the ear and puts a piece of Teflon padding between the nerve that is compressed and the blood vessels pushing on it. This surgery takes only a few hours at most, and patient can likely be able to go home after a few days of the recovery.
What are the Associated conditions and complications with twitch in chin?
- Facial spasms or twitches can also be caused by a another condition called trigeminal neuralgia. This medical condition is caused due to damage or irritation to the fifth cranial nerve . It can be treated with many of the same medications and procedures that we use for facial nerve damage .
- Tumor which is left untreated can cause further nerve damage as this tumor will grow or becomes cancerous. And then Cancer can quickly spread to other parts of the head and brain and lead to long-term complications.
- As with any surgery that is performed , be it the MVD it can potentially cause complications, like infections or trouble in breathing. However the MVD surgery rarely causes serious complications mostly it leads to minor complications.
How to diagnosis twitch in chin?
Doctors mostly observe the person and take a complete medical history, noting how severe the twitches are and also how long the person has had them.
In the cases where it’s needed the doctor will then use few imaging tests to find out what is irritating the nerve that is causing these twitches and also imaging will rule out the possibility of brain tumors or lesions . These medical Imaging tests may include following:
- MRI ( magnetic resource imaging )
- CT (computed tomography)
- Angiography also known as arteriography
If imaging tests don’t detect any tumors or lesions, doctors will most likely assume that pressure from a blood vessel is causing is this twitch. As its evident that these tests cannot always and always locate the blood vessel which is irritating the nerve that’s causing twitching , as the blood vessels are so small. Sometimes this twitch or spasm can be confused with other movement disorders which affect the face which include facial nerve tics and sometimes eyelid spasms. These two conditions affect different areas of the face, in particular not only chin so this helps doctors accurately diagnose the condition.
How to prevent twitch in chin?
Till now as far as researches have been done , researchers have not discovered any possible ways of preventing twitch in chin. As it’s known that twitches are involuntary that is not in control of a person, the only way to prevent there onset of twitches once a person develops the condition develops is through treatment. Stress, anxiety or fatigue have been shown over time to make the condition worse, so people trying to minimize their symptoms of twitching may also want to try to avoid these triggers.
Take away
Twitching in general can be controlled through home treatment, medications, or sometimes surgery. One should follow the concerned doctor’s instructions and its possible to be able to keep the muscle twitching to a minimum. The MVD surgery is frequently successful in decreasing or eliminating these twitches. If these twitches are left untreated they can lead to frustration as they become more noticeable and disruptive with passing time, especially if they spread across on the entire face.