What is a Fasciculation?
Updated December 30, 2014.
Almost of all of us have had a fasciculation at some point. The term fasciculation means a small, involuntary muscle twitch. This can happen to any muscle in the body, including the tongue. Most of the causes of fasciculations are not serious, and are merely annoying. For example, one of the most common causes is too much caffeine. Sometimes having too little of a particular electrolyte such as magnesium in your body can lead to fasciculations.
Medications as common as benadryl or asthma medications may also cause fasciculations. It is also common to experience a fasciculation after resting after exercising.
Less commonly, fasciculations can be caused by something more serious, like motor neuron diseases, toxins, or even rabies. In these cases, other neurological problems are also present. If the fasciculations persist, interfere with quality of life, and neurological testing does not show any other problem, someone may be diagnosed with benign fasciculation syndrome.
The best treatment of fasciculations is to find and treat the underlying cause. In some cases, certain antiepileptics or beta-blockers may be used for benign fasiculation syndrome, but nothing has been found that completely controls the twitches. Fortunately, if the fasciculation is not due to some other problem, it will often resolve on its own.
To learn more about the symptoms of motor neuron diseases, try reading the following: Managing the Symptoms of ALS, Serious ALS Symptoms.
Almost of all of us have had a fasciculation at some point. The term fasciculation means a small, involuntary muscle twitch. This can happen to any muscle in the body, including the tongue. Most of the causes of fasciculations are not serious, and are merely annoying. For example, one of the most common causes is too much caffeine. Sometimes having too little of a particular electrolyte such as magnesium in your body can lead to fasciculations.
Medications as common as benadryl or asthma medications may also cause fasciculations. It is also common to experience a fasciculation after resting after exercising.
Less commonly, fasciculations can be caused by something more serious, like motor neuron diseases, toxins, or even rabies. In these cases, other neurological problems are also present. If the fasciculations persist, interfere with quality of life, and neurological testing does not show any other problem, someone may be diagnosed with benign fasciculation syndrome.
The best treatment of fasciculations is to find and treat the underlying cause. In some cases, certain antiepileptics or beta-blockers may be used for benign fasiculation syndrome, but nothing has been found that completely controls the twitches. Fortunately, if the fasciculation is not due to some other problem, it will often resolve on its own.
To learn more about the symptoms of motor neuron diseases, try reading the following: Managing the Symptoms of ALS, Serious ALS Symptoms.