Eyes blinking sideways.

Alright, mostly everybody has seen the movie Men In Black. Remember the part at the beginning when Will Smith is chasing that guy, then at the end of the chase he looks at him. Well, his eyes blink not from the top and the bottom but to the left and the right.

Well, that happens to me. Kinda...

Before you start to think I am a freak, let me explain.

This doesn't happen all the time, and I am not ever sure that my eyes actaully close, because I have not looking in a mirror while doing it. But they actually feel like they are closing from the sides, and I lose my vision for a mili-second, like you would when you acutally blink.

The feeling is indescribable really. It seems to unreal.

I can't contol when it happens, at most it happens two times a day. Somedays it doesn't happen at all. Nobody has ever seen me do this.

Does anybody have any sort of explanation for this?

Types of reptiles can blink the way you describe, lizards mostly. Can't camels do it too? I've never heard of a person blinking like that though. Very strange.

Abnormal blinks can be caused by a number of factors. I'm assuming by sideways blink it feels as if the corners of your eyes pull together and leave the vertical center of your eye the last to be covered.

First, the sensation of a sideways blink can be caused by dryness - the sensation of the drag of your eyelid over the surface of your eye. Spend much time on the computer? Take any perscription meds? Both can cause dry eyes. Allergies and contact lenses, too.

Second, an actual problem with the muscles in your eye can contract on the sides before the middle and cause an uneven blink, or an incomplete blink where eyes do not close totally. Many things can cause this from Bells Palsy, Herpes Virus, injury, tumor growth (but I doubt your blink would be the only symptom), Lymes disease, to brainstem lesions (again you'd have more serious symptoms than a weird blink).

One might suggest you try some lubricating eye drops, and if it keeps up mention it to your eye doc. If you notice any other weird muscle happenings in your face, unexplained weaknesses or dizzyness, or vision loss do not pass go and go to your doc immediately. I'm not a doctor, and of course any medical issue needs to be treated by a professional - not just a website. This is a good place to get input, though, but I just gotta say that

First, the sensation of a sideways blink can be caused by dryness - the sensation of the drag of your eyelid over the surface of your eye. Spend much time on the computer? Take any perscription meds? Both can cause dry eyes. Allergies and contact lenses, too.

Nope, nope, nope, nope.

No virus etc.

No, I don't have a twich either.

My blinks are not imcomplete, they fully close.

I don't really know how it could happen. Maybe some part of your nervous system near your eyes is messed up. So your midn tricks itself into thinking it is blinking sideways.

Well, it just happened again, first time today.

I can feel my eyelids moving, and I could almost see them closing, from behind I mean.

Another note...

Its not just one eye that does it, its both.

Kinda starting to creep me out, the more I think about it.

It probaly is just somethign messed up with the nerves aroudn the eyes. Sometimes when you blink your eyes your nerves get crossed somehow and send signals to the wrong part of the eye.

The only way I'd see that you'd be able to do this would be if you had a third eyelid, or a nictitating membrane...but I doubt that's the case...

I simply don't see how you'd be able to involuntarily stretch the skin of your eyelid horizontally without tearing or bruising...

Misfired nerve endings I would assume could account for part of the movement and sensation...

However, my purpose of posting is not to tell you I think you're full of it...but I personally have no clue what it could be or how it could happen - I searched the internet using as many different word combinations as I could think of and found nothing but a few references to MIB...

Like RedBalloon said, I'd highly suggest asking a doctor



[edit on 9/21/2004 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

I simply don't see how you'd be able to involuntarily stretch the skin of your eyelid horizontally without tearing or bruising...

Nope, none of that and my eyes look perfectly normal.

Originally posted by EnronOutrunHomerun
The only way I'd see that you'd be able to do this would be if you had a third eyelid, or a nictitating membrane...but I doubt that's the case...

Misfired nerve endings I would assume could account for part of the movement and sensation...

Like RedBalloon said, I'd highly suggest asking a doctor

I agree with EnronOutrunHomerun very much so on the advice that you should ask a doctor and the explanation that it's just misfired nerves.

Buuuut...To take the conversation into a different direction (though still involving this affliction), I'd like to state that I once heard that humans are actually growing a third eyelid which closes that way (a membranous one) in response to increasing UV rays reaching earth (something to that extent). Thus, I wonder if it could be a result of that. You feel it but you can't . . . um . . . -see- the third eyelids?

Either way, if anyone's heard anything similar to that, I'd like to know. It's been an idea that's come up many times since I last heard it as well, so maybe it's still floating around?

the same thing happened to me, except i was looking in a mirror at the time and i seen a second eyelid close horizontally...it scared the crap out of me

reply to post by MacKiller


It sounds to me like (Rapid Eye Movement)....(Nystagmus)..here is a link...hope it helps.

www.doctorslounge.com...

a reply to: MacKiller

I know this is very belated but I stumbled across your post after googling 'eyes blinking sideways' because mine do it too. The exact same thing you described. I thought it was normal bc its happened for as long as I can remember, but I had an eye appt about it the other day and my dr said it wasn't normal. I asked around and none of my friends know what I'm talking about. If you have any information about it, please lmk.

a reply to: jasper420

got any patches of priesthood ?

scaly bits of skin....
on your back or what not

I think the eye twitching may be due to stress. You should consult an eye doctor for best cure.

this is the closest thing i could find on google www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...