In contrast, facial myokymia is a fine rippling of muscles on one side of the face and may reflect an underlying tumor in the brainstem (typically a brainstem glioma), loss of myelin in the brainstem (associated with multiple sclerosis) or in the recovery stage of Miller-Fisher syndrome, a variant of Guillain–Barré syndrome, an inflammatory polyneuropathy that may affect the facial nerve.
[citation needed] Myokymia in otherwise unrelated body parts may occur in neuromyotonia.
Frequent contributing factors include: too much caffeine,[1][2] high levels of anxiety, fatigue, dehydration, stress,[2] overwork, and a lack of sleep.
Many doctors commonly recommend a combined treatment of a warm compress applied to the eyes (to relieve muscle tension, relax the muscles, and reduce swelling), a small dosage of antihistamine (to reduce any swelling that may be caused by an allergic reaction), increased bed rest and decreased exposure to computer screens, televisions, and harsh lighting (to allow muscles to rest), and monitoring caffeine intake (as too much caffeine can cause an adverse reaction such as eye twitching, but a controlled dose can serve as an effective treatment by increasing blood flow).
[citation needed] The term comes from the Greek -mŷs – "muscle," + kŷm, -kŷmia – "something swollen" or -kŷmos – "wave".