Hemifacial spasms are involuntary painless contractions affecting one side of the face. The muscles contract very often and they mostly start from the eye progressing down the face causing closure of one eye as well as distortion of the mouth on only one side of the face. These spasms may be because of a tumour, injury to the facial nerve or compression of the facial nerve by a blood vessel. Treatment involves Botox injection into the affected facial muscles or decompression surgery to relieve the pressure on the facial nerve where a Teflon sponge is placed between the nerve and compressing blood vessel.
