Why the upper lip twitches: the main reasons, what to do

Resentment and rolling tears on a child's face can be easily noticed by the shaking lower lip: this symptom indicates that the baby is about to burst into sobs. The symptom is especially noticeable in newborn babies. Strong emotions can also be a factor in why an adult's lip is shaking when trying to hide their excitement and frustration. But the women’s website “Beautiful and Successful” found out that such a symptom often indicates some kind of pathology that requires serious treatment. Read about when to worry and how to deal with the disease on this page.

Most common reasons

Why does my upper lip twitch? The most common reasons:

Most often this is a manifestation of nervousness. Facial tics occur due to disturbances in the conduction of nerve impulses. Often patients have a question: “Why does the upper lip twitch in the middle and what to do in such a situation?” First of all, you should consult a neurologist. He will make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe sedatives.
Mineral deficiency, particularly magnesium. In this case, muscle cramps in the legs and arms may also occur.
The recovery period after surgery, after heavy blood loss. In order for the body to recover faster, you should maintain bed rest, avoid stress, and also take a good quality vitamin and mineral complex. It is also important to replenish magnesium deficiency in the body; Magne B6 is ideal for this.
Why does the upper lip twitch after traumatic brain injury? Yes, impacts and brain injuries are another common cause of discomfort. As a rule, the reason lies in poor circulation. You should contact a neurologist - he will prescribe suitable medications, the use of which will help to quickly get rid of the problem.

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What to do if your lips are trembling or twitching

There is nothing to worry about if the lip suddenly trembles during crying, stress, strong feelings, screaming, hysterics, and after the person has calmed down, the symptom has passed. Usually people don’t even really notice lip tremor during psycho-emotional outbursts.

But if a symptom begins to bother you frequently, begins to cause physical and mental discomfort, and even more so - it occurs involuntarily, is uncontrollable and lasts a long time or constantly - then you should definitely consult a neurologist.

The doctor will conduct an examination, collect anamnesis and prescribe the necessary diagnostic tests.

Only on the basis of a complete diagnosis can one identify certain causes of lip tremors in an adult.

Why does a child's upper lip twitch?

It would seem that children have no stress and there is no reason for the development of pathologies of the nervous system. However, doctors have a different opinion: more and more babies are being born with neurological problems. Why does a child's upper lip twitch on the left side (or right)? As a rule, this indicates that there are problems with the conduction of nerve impulses on one side or another. When making a diagnosis, the fact in which exact place the face twitches usually does not play a significant role.

Why does the upper lip twitch in teenagers? If there have been no traumatic brain injuries over the past few years, if the teenager has not undergone surgery, then most likely this is a manifestation of a common nervous tic. Below are recommendations on how to improve the condition and get rid of tic.

Lip trembling in an adult - symptoms

Seems. that the symptom is simple - lips shake and that’s it. But in fact, they can tremble in different ways, under different circumstances. And the reasons depend on this.

Both lips or the lower lip twitch in small tremors when crying or hysterical. The trembling goes away after the person calms down.
Lips begin to tremble with excitement and strong emotional experiences. The tremor also goes away on its own after the condition returns to normal.
Lips begin to tremble from intense physical exertion.
Trembling occurs involuntarily in a variety of situations, regardless of the emotional state, including at rest. It also goes away suddenly.
Lip tremors are felt constantly and cannot be controlled.
Trembling appears only when smiling or opening the mouth.

Depending on the symptoms, you can better navigate the causes of the disease.

Sometimes lip twitching can be accompanied by other symptoms. So, for example, if the left eye or right eye twitches with the lip, the condition may be caused by hemifacial spasm (neuromuscular dyskinesia due to compression of the facial nerve root in the area of its exit from the brain stem on the affected side).

Often, tics are provoked by various neurological disorders caused by external factors, for example, hypothermia of the facial nerve.

Facial tics and nervous tension

So, we have found the most common reason why the upper lip twitches on the left or right. Facial nervous tics almost always occur due to high nervous tension. This could be a period of passing exams, a conflict situation in the family, separation from a loved one, or the death of someone close. There are a lot of situations in our world that can cause nervous tension even in the most mentally stable person. Why does the upper lip twitch and what to do in this case if it is a facial nervous tic?

The best way out in such a situation is to abstract yourself as much as possible from the traumatic situation. Try to take time off if work is stressful. Some people often decide to quit in order to maintain a healthy psycho-emotional background. If the reason is a toxic relationship, then it is better to get out of it. If the patient is plagued by constant conflicts in the family, you should think about living separately.

Why lips shake - possible reasons

The causes of lip tremors can be either purely psychological or physiological.

A person’s lips tremble at a moment of strong excitement or after a serious shock, and this is a normal phenomenon, the body’s response to the influence of stress factors. But there may be other reasons leading to this phenomenon, and some of them are pathological in nature.

Let us consider in more detail all the possible causes of trembling and tremor of the lips in adults.

Psychological reasons

Psychogenic causes of lip tremors that have no physical basis are described here.

Emotional disorders. Or, simply put, nervousness, a tendency to neurosis, panic, hysteria, suspiciousness.
Prolonged stress, which can lead to a weakening of the nervous system.
Severe fatigue, leading to hypertonicity of the muscular system.
Asthenia. A feeling of lack of sleep, constant fatigue, lack of vitality, nervous tics are typical symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome or asthenia, one of the symptoms of which may be lip tremor.

Facial nervous tics almost always occur due to high nervous tension.

This could be a period of passing exams, a conflict situation in the family, separation from a loved one, or the death of someone close. There are a lot of situations in our world that can cause nervous tension even in the most mentally stable person.

On a note!

An article was published in the journal Movement Disorders that describes the relationship between stress levels and the conditions that cause facial muscle spasms.

Scientists have found that stress and anxiety worsen spasms, and reducing anxiety reduces twitching in facial muscles, such as an adult's lower lip twitching.

Another study by Australian scientists found that facial twitching was worse in people who were under severe emotional or psychological stress.

Physiological causes of lip tremor

The reasons described below are associated with various disorders and diseases in the body.

Abuse of alcohol and other toxic substances.
Lack of vitamins and microelements in the body, especially: potassium, magnesium, iodine, vitamin B6, vitamin D.
Excessive consumption of caffeine and other substances that stimulate the nervous system.
The result of taking certain medications.
Hemifacial spasm . There is a sharp contraction of the facial muscles, which is repeated in nature.
Hypoparathyroidism. The pathology is characterized by a reduced level of secretion of parathyroid hormone, which is necessary to maintain calcium-phosphorus balance.
Parkinson's disease. Usually accompanied not only by trembling of the lips, but also by tremors of the hands, twitching of muscles throughout the body.
Tourette's syndrome . It can provoke all kinds of spasms, including frequent twitching of the lips.
Bell's palsy . It appears in the case of damage to the facial nerve by a viral infection. Also called “facial nerve neuritis”.
Multiple sclerosis . As a rule, it is difficult to diagnose in the early stages; twitching of the facial muscles is one of its characteristic signs.
Essential tremor . It manifests itself as trembling of the lips, hands, legs, vocal cords at the moment when a person shows his emotions or is very tired.
The presence of a traumatic brain injury or organic brain damage can also be manifested by twitching of the lips.
DiGeorge syndrome . The missing chromosome is thought to cause a variety of symptoms, including muscle spasms. Typically, a blood test can confirm the presence of DiGeorge syndrome.
Multiple sclerosis . The disease can be difficult to detect in the early stages, and facial muscle twitching is one of the symptoms that people with multiple sclerosis complain about in the early stages.

The appearance of tremors in the lips and body may indicate the presence of an acute infectious disease. Typically, such a tremor is accompanied by aches throughout the body and fever.

Also, lip tremor sometimes occurs during the recovery period after surgery, after heavy blood loss.

A lip tic may indicate problems with the central nervous system. Various types of infections, brain injuries, manifestations of atherosclerosis, encephalitis, and leptospirosis are accompanied by frequent stereotypical contractions of small muscles.

Other factors

The reasons that the upper lip twitches can also be:

hypothermia;
long exposure to drafts;
head injuries;
uncomfortable sleeping position;
operations;
anti-aging procedures;
vaccinations;
complications after dental procedures.

Important!

If the lip trembles only on the right or left side, it is advisable to urgently visit a neurologist and psychotherapist for a diagnosis. To dull the symptoms, you are allowed to take No-shpa and valerian tablets on your own.

Which doctor should I contact?

Often, patients are so worried about a nervous tic that they search on forums for an answer to the question: “Why does the upper lip twitch in the middle, what medications to take and how to get rid of it?” The first rule is not to panic and under no circumstances self-medicate. Really powerful sedatives are available by prescription.

If the problem has become acute, you should contact a neurologist and describe the symptoms in detail. Perhaps the facial tic is accompanied by leg or arm cramps, or a frequent headache? You should definitely inform your doctor about this. The more detailed the story, the easier it will be for the doctor to draw up a clinical picture and select medications that will quickly help solve the problem.

Why might the lip quiver in newborns and older children?

The phenomenon when a newborn’s lower or upper lip, and even chin, shakes can be considered normal until the age of 3 months.

Typically, such a facial tic is observed during prolonged crying or excessive fatigue of the child and is explained by the fact that due to insufficient development of the nervous and endocrine systems, the brain is not able to control contractions of individual parts of the body even with strong emotions.

You should be concerned if your baby has:

trembling persists beyond 3 months of age;
tremor appears at rest;
Not only the mouth, but the whole head trembles.

These signs may indicate:

intrauterine fetal hypoxia;
hypertonicity of muscle tissue;
frequent stress in pregnant women during pregnancy.

Tremor of the lips and chin in older children is considered normal in cases of emotional stress and a short, mild course.

Pathological abnormalities in the functioning of the child’s central nervous system are indicated by:

tremors of the limbs (in addition to tremor of the lips);
short sleep;
irritability;
headache.

There is no need to panic if lip tremors in a non-congenital person are observed only when crying. In other cases, you need to immediately show the child to a pediatrician.

Groups of medications used for tics

So, we found out why the upper lip twitches. What drugs are commonly used to get rid of this unpleasant problem?

Antidepressants and tranquilizers. They are sold by prescription and can be prescribed by a neurologist or psychiatrist. They level out the psycho-emotional state, help improve performance, normalize sleep, and restore the normal balance of neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine, etc.).

Mild over-the-counter sedatives, the use of which does not cause addiction and has virtually no side effects. But the effect of taking such medications is less pronounced than that of prescription antidepressants and tranquilizers.

Drugs that restore cerebral circulation. Effective if the cause of the tic is traumatic brain injury.

Vitamin-mineral complexes will help get rid of the deficiency of minerals and vitamins, as well as the consequences of a lack of these elements.

Herbal sedatives. The cheapest way to normalize sleep and become calmer, which will entail a decrease in the severity of nervous tics on the face. However, in some cases, taking herbal infusions is completely useless.

Precautionary measures

Yoga helps calm the nervous system

Since in most cases lip tremor is caused by increased tension in the nervous system, you can prevent the appearance of such a symptom by taking care to strengthen your nerves and increase stress resistance.

Take care to create a daily routine, clearly allocate time for rest, work, and physical activity.

It is important to have adequate rest. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. It is advisable not to stay up late and sleep at least seven hours.
Great importance should be given to proper nutrition, enriched with all necessary vitamins and microelements, biologically active substances.
It is worth taking care of having at least minimal physical activity daily. This could be a light jog in the morning, a workout in the gym, a bike ride, or maybe simple daily exercise. In any case, physical exercise will have a beneficial effect on overall well-being; it will also produce happiness hormones that improve mood and help resist the effects of stress factors.
It is important to have daily walks in the fresh air and ventilate the room in which you spend most of your time.
Minimize the time you spend in front of the TV or computer screen or on gadgets.
Limit your exposure to negative information and do not communicate with pessimistic people.
Do meditation, yoga. Such practices contribute to general relaxation of the body and improvement of internal state.
It is recommended to get rid of bad habits and addictions, if any, as they can also affect the nervous system, provoking the occurrence of undesirable manifestations.

Remember that quivering lips may indicate the presence of a serious pathology. That is why it is so important to consult a doctor promptly when such a symptom appears and, if necessary, begin treatment. Do not forget about the possible consequences in the absence of proper therapy.

Taking antidepressants: justified or not?

The minimum duration of a course of antidepressants is three months. Many patients are forced to take this type of medication for years, as negative symptoms return after discontinuation. However, often it is antidepressants that help a person live a full life, forget about anxiety, fears, panic attacks, and facial tics.

The most popular prescription antidepressants today are:

"Prozac";

"Paxil";

"Trittiko";

Zoloft.

Often a mild tranquilizer is also prescribed in parallel - for example, Atarax. This scheme helps to quickly reduce the patient’s psycho-emotional stress.

Mild sedatives

Often, to get rid of facial tics, neurologists prescribe the following sedatives:

"Novopassit";
"Travisil";
"Afobazole";
"Berocca".

The average duration of treatment is about two months. Some patients note that facial nervous tics disappear within the first week of treatment.

Treatment

How to react if at a fairly young age a strange condition appeared - trembling lips? If the phenomenon is simply due to nervous overstrain, you can take a course of sedatives. Or sign up for a swimming pool or yoga class - physical exercise has a good effect on the psyche. The deficiency of magnesium or other microelement is compensated for in a few months.

But when the cause of twitching is hereditary essential tremor, then treatment should be under the supervision of a neurologist. The neurologist usually prescribes pyridoxine and beta blockers. This temporarily reduces the convulsive activity of the lips.

Herbal sedative for nervous tics

Herbal tea "Fitosedan" is a tea made from natural herbs - valerian, motherwort, hops. Normalizes sleep and has a mild calming effect. If the facial tic is not clearly expressed and only bothers you during periods of stress, then you can get by with taking Phytosedan.

The product can be purchased at any pharmacy; you do not need a prescription from a doctor. The duration of treatment is about one month. “Phytosedan” does not cause drug dependence; you can stop taking it at any time without fear that it will negatively affect your psychological or physical state.

Trembling lips. Treatment

Essential tremor is a neurological hereditary disease. Tremor was described in 1929 by L. S. Minor. Constantly trembling lips is a reason to make an appointment with a neurologist.

It is much easier to cure tremors associated with a lack of microelements. Trembling lips - this may be the first harbinger of essential tremor, followed by twitching of the arms, neck, and legs.

The cause of this condition is considered to be a disorder in the descending pyramidal system, which is responsible for transmitting impulses from the central nervous system to the muscles. Due to these disturbances, trembling begins when moving.

But to establish such a diagnosis, it is necessary to first carry out a differential diagnosis in order to exclude all other diseases. Perhaps lip trembling is not a neurological symptom at all, but a signal from the endocrine system.

Prevention of facial nervous tics

Even if you managed to get rid of a nervous tic, there is a high probability that the problems will return in the next stressful situation. How to keep your nervous system calm and prevent the problem from returning?

Adequate sleep is the key to a healthy and strong nervous system. If for some reason insomnia develops, you should consult a doctor about this problem.

Light physical activity also helps keep the nervous system and psyche in good shape. At the same time, it is important that physical education is a joy. Exhaustive training, on the contrary, has a negative effect on the body.

Adequate nutrition, an abundance of vitamins and minerals in the diet is another “building block” in building a healthy nervous system and psyche.

You should completely stop drinking alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is a strong depressant, which also promotes the death of nerve cells.

Source

Alarming symptoms

From too much excitement, your hands may begin to tremble and your lips will tremble. After a sleepless night, such phenomena can also occur. In such cases, the condition can be normalized by proper rest or by taking sedatives that bring the nervous system back to normal.

Trembling lips may be accompanied by accompanying symptoms, the appearance of which will indicate the need to consult a doctor. These “alarm bells” include:

The presence of pronounced pulsation in the carotid arteries, high blood pressure, numbness of part of the face, tremor of the chin, lips, distortion of the mouth, and unintelligible speech may also be present. The appearance of such signs most likely indicates the presence of a stroke; the person requires emergency hospitalization in neurosurgery.
A nervous tic may indicate the presence of a mental disorder (particularly bipolar or schizophrenia). In such a situation, in addition to tremor, there will also be a sharp change in mood, inappropriate behavior, obsessions, and thoughts.
The presence of severe pain on the face, lips, in the corners of the mouth, and an increase in temperature may indicate trigeminal neuralgia. It is unacceptable to start such a process, otherwise serious complications cannot be avoided.
Twitching of the orbicularis muscle around the mouth may indicate the presence of an inflammatory process.