Twitching in your body is a hidden early warning sign of three killer cancers

The case of twitches can simply be caused by too much alcohol, bad diet or exercise, But experts say they could also be much more serious and be a sign of cancer

Twitches in your muscles are involuntary, but quite often brought on by too much caffeine, diet reasons or lack of exercise.

But there are other more serious reasons why spasms may occur. There are three types of cancer are also known to cause the same twitching in the body. The Express reports Monika Wassermann, MD at Oliolussio says they usually result from epilepsy. She said: “While seizures mostly arise from epilepsy, a brain tumour can irritate the brain’s neurons and cause tingling, twitching, or muscle contractions. If a tumour develops in the occipital lobe, temporal lobe, or brain stem, one may have double or blurred vision. Another indicator is eye-twitching."

Symptoms happen when the tumour starts pressing on the brain, stopping the normal functioning of part of the organ. Addressing symptoms as they appear is imperative, as tumours that spread to the temporal lobe, frontal lobe, and parietal lobe, can cause speech problems, relating to cognitive function. Monica added: “The frontal lobe manages decision making, problem-solving, concentration, and thinking speed functions.”

A tumour can also occasionally press on blood vessels or can come into contact with a bone and cause it to expand. If the spinal cord becomes affected, problems may arise in the muscles, such as tightening of the muscular tissues in the leg, ankle and foot. Some major cancers that are known to spread to the spinal cord include cancer of the prostate, lung, and breast cancer. Because of their high capability to metastasise, these cancers can easily spread to the tissue inside the spine.

Two types of blood cancer, such as myeloma and leukaemia, have also been known to spread to the backbone. This usually happens when the malignancy originates in the white cells or plasma cells inside the bone marrow. Health platform cancer.Net explains manifestations could include "single or multiple muscle twitches, jerks, and/or spasms."

When cancer spreads to the spine, patients can also experience a loss of consciousness or body tone. This could be followed by sporadic episodes of twitching or relaxing of the muscle or a total loss of control of body functions. Anyone affected by unusual bodily changes is advised to contact their GP for further examination.

The NHS says such twitches are common and very rarely a sign of anything serious. They often go away on their own, but you should see a GP if a twitch lasts more than a fortnight. An eyelid twitch - or 'eyelid myokymia' - can also signal something more serious, says the Cleveland Clinic. The causes of the condition are not well understood, but the presence of other symptoms may warrant a doctor's visit.

The clinic explains: “Eye twitches are normally a minor nuisance that usually goes almost as quickly as they come. More often than not, they are simply a sign that you need to take time to decompress and destress. On the very rare occasions where an eyelid twitch signals something serious, consider it a clue to help you get the healthcare you need."