Do you hear a clicking sound with every blink of your eyes?

Maybe it happens only sometimes or with nearly every blink – and it’s not only impossible to ignore.

But it brings to mind what kind of deadly disease might be causing this oddball symptom.

Can a brain tumor cause a clicking sound when you blink your eyes?

“A clicking sound when blinking is rare, and in the absence of any other signs or symptoms, should not be a cause for worry,” says Kaushal M. Kulkarni, MD, board certified ophthalmologist and neuro-ophthalmologist in private practice in New York.

So if you’re feeling great, just ran five miles or did the CrossFit WOD, have a great appetite, clear mind but your only symptom is this annoying clicking sound every time you blink your eyes – then you can be rest assured that this is not being caused by a brain or eye tumor.

Dr. Kulkarni explains, “This could simply be due to dry eyes, and you can try using over the counter artificial lubricating drops in the eye up to four times a day.

“Rarely, people can have a gradual degeneration of the bones around the sinus, causing a condition called silent sinus syndrome,” a rare benign condition.

“This can also cause the eye to appears sunken in. This is something that could be evaluated by an ear, nose and throat doctor.”

Malignant brain and eye tumors may cause the following, and more worrisome, symptoms: ongoing headaches that worsen, loss of balance, nausea/vomiting, weakness on one side of the body, cognitive changes, slurred speech, rapid vision deterioration, a bulging eye, a brownish smudge-like spot on the white of an eye, a lopsided pupil, a seizure. 

Dr. Kulkarni has a special interest in optic nerve regeneration.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.

icking Sound When Blinking Your Eyes