Lip Twitching: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

In medical terminology, Lip Twitching is described as sudden and involuntary contraction of the muscles of the lower lip. This can be caused due to various reasons like an injury or trauma to the lip, irritation, or a chemical reaction on the nerves around the region of the lower lip. Often at times we come across people who have a problem of frequent Lip Twitching.

Lip Twitching is not only socially embarrassing but also is quite irritating for the affected individual. Lip Twitching also affects the way an individual speaks as the speech might also get affected due to Twitching Lips. Lip Twitching is not a complicated condition and it is quite common. It is quite a benign and self limiting condition and can be treated definitively.

In some cases Lip Twitching may last for a few seconds to a few minutes and is not a matter of concern but when Lip Twitching starts to happen frequently and persistently then it needs to be evaluated and the cause of it identified so that effective measures can be taken to get rid of Lip Twitching.

There may be many causes for Lip Twitching including certain medical conditions which have Lip Twitching as a symptom. Some of the common causes of Lip Twitching are:

Quitting Smoking and Alcohol Can Cause Lip Twitching: if an individual chooses to quit alcohol or smoking. Cold Turkey then he or she may end having Lip Twitching. Also, increased consumption of sodas, chocolate, caffeine can also cause Lip Twitching in an individual.

Anxiety/Stress: If an individual is under a lot of stress or has chronic anxiety then there is a possibility of lip twitching in that person.

Apart from the above mentioned situations where an individual can have Lip Twitching, there are also some medical conditions which can cause Lip Twitching. These conditions are:

Bell’s Palsy: This is a medical condition in which there is some sort of damage to the facial muscles as a result of which an individual may have Lip Twitching along with other symptoms like facial swelling, speech impediment, and facial droop.

Tremor: An individual suffering from tremors chronically can also have Lip Twitching. An individual can have tremor due to extreme anxiety or stress or in cases of extreme fear or anger. Increased recreational drug use may also cause lip twitching.

Facial Spasms: An individual suffering from spasms of the facial muscles also may end up having lip twitching. Anxiety is one of the reasons behind facial spasms. Certain types of tumors may also trigger a facial spasm. In some cases facial spasms do not have a clear etiology.

Parkinson Disease: This is one of the most serious neurological disorders. In this condition, the patient experiences frequent tremors and tics apart from having a diminishing memory making the individual demented. Lip Twitching is also one of the symptoms of Parkinson Disease.

Tic Disorder: This is quite a common condition in which the muscles of the face and lips are affected and as a result the individual can experience Lip Twitching. Tic Disorder is mostly found in children and in most cases children outgrow this disorder and the Lip Twitching also ceases.

Hypoparathyroidism: This is a medical condition caused due to parathormone deficiency which results in facial spasms with resultant Lip Twitching.

DiGeorge Syndrome: This is a genetic condition linked to a defect in the chromosome 22. Due to this defect, there is poor development of various parts of the body. These defects may be visible at birth or may be seen at a later stage in life. Lip Twitching is also one of the symptoms that can be caused due to this disorder.

Tourette Syndrome: This is perhaps the most common cause of Lip Twitching. Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder which is caused as a result of inappropriate function of the nerves. The most common symptom of this disorder is involuntary movements of the body which includes persistent Lip Twitching.

Lip Twitching is a symptom and not a medical condition. Thus it is important to study the associated symptoms so that one can come up with a cause for the Lip Twitching and formulate a treatment plan to get rid of the problem of lip twitching. Some of the associated symptoms that occur along with Lip Twitching are:

• Abrupt contraction or shrinkage of muscles of the lower lip
• Repeated involuntary spasms around the facial region
• Lack of sensation in the lip along with a feeling of numbness
• Abnormal motion of the lower lip.

Lip Twitching is a benign and self limiting condition but when it becomes persistent and does not go away on its own then it becomes necessary to find out the underlying cause of it and get proper treatment get rid of lip twitching. Majority of Lip Twitching caused due to medical conditions can be taken care of by treating the underlying cause. Lip Twitching caused due to diseases like Parkinson Disease and DiGeorge Syndrome may not go away permanently as a definite cure for these conditions has not been found yet but Lip Twitching caused due to conditions like anxiety, fear, alcohol or drug abuse can be prevented if the following measures are taken.

• To get rid of anxiety and alcohol related problems, certain lifestyle changes along with consultation with a skilled psychiatrist with use of medications can help a great deal in getting rid of not only the underlying anxiety and alcohol problem but also its related symptoms of lip twitching.
• Avoid caffeine as much as possible as this is yet another cause of lip twitching.
• As soon as lip twitching starts you can apply a warm cloth to the lips or apply pressure as this will stop lip twitching instantly.
• Manage stress appropriately and if possible try yoga or other forms of exercise to keep the stress under control which will get rid of lip twitching caused due to extreme stress.
• In case if lip twitching is caused due to potassium deficiency then eating food rich in potassium like water melon and banana are quite effective in getting rid of twitching of the lips.

Lip Twitching is a benign condition and in majority of the cases goes away on its own but if they become persistent then a consultation with a physician is a must so as to rule out any potential serious underlying pathology causing Lip Twitching.

In summary, Lip Twitching is not something to be too concerned about unless it points to an underlying medical condition. If Lip Twitching is persistent then it is always better to get it evaluated by a physician so that a definitive diagnosis can be made and a treatment plan can be formulated to permanently get rid of Lip Twitching.