Blepharospasm Resources

• Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation, Inc.
  3155 Stagg Drive
  P.O. Box 12468, Suite 110
  Beaumont, TX 77726-2468
  Phone: (409) 832-0788
  Fax: (409) 832-0890
  E-mail: bebrf@ih2000.net
  http://www.blepharospasm.org

• National Spasmodic Torticollis Association
  P.O. Box 5849
  Orange, CA 92863-5849
  Phone/Fax: (714) 516-1824
  Toll-Free: (800) HURTFUL (487-8385)
  E-mail: PMNSTA@aol.com
  http://www.bluheronweb.com/nsta/nsta.htm

• Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
  1 East Wacker Drive, Suite 2430
  Chicago, IL 60601-1905
  Phone: (312) 755-0198
  Fax: (312) 321-5710
  E-mail: dystfndt@aol.com
  http://www.dystonia-foundation.org

• United Cerebral Palsy Associations
  1660 L Street, NW
  Washington, DC 20036-5602
  Phone: (202) 776-0406
  Toll-Free: (800) 872-5827
  Fax: (202) 776-0414
  E-mail: ucpnatl@ucpa.org
  http://www.ucpa.org

• National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
  P.O. Box 8923
  New Fairfield, CT 06812-8923
  Phone: (203) 746-6518
  Fax: (203) 746-6481
  Toll free: (800) 999-NORD (6673)
  E-mail: orphan@rarediseases.org
  http://www.rarediseases.org

• WE MOVE
  Mt. Sinai Medical Center
  One Gustave L. Levy Place Box 1052
  New York, NY 10029
  Phone: (212) 241-8567
  Toll-Free: (800) 437-6682
  Fax: (212) 987-7363
  E-mail: wemove@smtplink.mssm.edu
  http://www.wemove.org

A blepharospasm (from Greek: blepharo, eyelid, and spasm, an uncontrolled muscle contraction), is any abnormal tic or twitch of the eyelid

Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease. It most commonly affects the thyroid, causing it to grow to twice its size or more (goiter), be overactive, with related hyperthyroid symptoms such as increased heartbeat, muscle weakness, disturbed sleep, and irritability. It can also affect the eyes, causing bulging eyes (exophthalmos). It affects other systems of the body, including the skin and reproductive organs. It affects up to 2% of the female population, often appears after childbirth, and has a female:male incidence of 5:1 to 10:1. It has a strong hereditary component; when one identical twin has Graves' disease, the other twin will have it 25% of the time. Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke is associated with the eye manifestations but not the thyroid manifestations. Diagnosis is usually made on the basis of symptoms, although thyroid hormone tests may be useful, particularly to monitor treatment.

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