Contrary to what one might think, aging is not a leading cause of droopy eyelid, in fact, the most common cause is improper development of the levator eyelid muscle. If the problem is present at birth, better to intervene immediately to avoid further disturbances.
The eyes and the look in general, are the crux of the whole face. We thought you might be interested in discovering gods natural remedies for puffy eyes.
Eyelid ptosis symptoms
Eyelid ptosis is the technical name for the droopy eyelid problem, but what are the symptoms that make you realize that something is wrong? The most evident is certainly thedrooping of one or both eyelids.
Other symptoms include:
- Difficulty closing or opening the eyes
- Medium / severe sagging of the skin on and around the eyelid
- Tiredness and pains around the eyes, especially during the day
- Change in the appearance of the face
The appearance of the drooping eyelid can remain stable over time, develop gradually over the years or be intermittent. Furthermore, drooping eyelid can only be barely hinted at, or completely cover the pupil and iris.
In severe cases the eyelid ptosis can get to completely block the sight especially when it affects both eyelids. In other situations, however, it can be alone just mentioned and therefore not immediately identifiable.
The drooping eyelid can also simply change a person's appearance without compromising their health, but sometimes it can be a warning sign for a more serious ailment, which is of interest muscles, nerves, eyes or brain.
La eyelid ptosis it can also manifest itself alone for a few days or for a few hours and it is a sign of serious medical problems. In these cases, notify your doctor immediately.
Plus this ailment sometimes is associated with strabismus and when it affects children, the tendency is to tilt your head back and raise your eyebrows to try to see better. This behavior, repeated over time, can lead to headache and “ocular stiff neck“, Causing neck problems and developmental delays.
Sagging eyelid: the causes
Sagging eyelid usually arises with aging, as the muscles of the eyelids become weak. In adults, the most common cause of ptosis is levator strain, due to injury or side effects of some eye surgery.
Other causes that lead to drooping eyelid are:
- injuries
- eye tumors
- neurological disorders
- diabetes
- taking opioid drugs
- drug use and abuse
Depending on the cause, we can distinguish different types of eyelid ptosis:
- Myogenic ptosis: it is due to a weakening of the levator muscle, common in patients already suffering from other eye diseases.
- Neurogenic ptosis: when the nerves that control the levator palpebrae are also involved.
- Aponeurotic ptosis: referred to advancing age or post-operative effects.
- Mechanical ptosis: it derives from a weighting of the eyelid which prevents its correct movement. Mechanical ptosis can result from the presence of a mass such as fibroids and angiomas.
- Traumatic ptosis: occurs following laceration of the eyelid with excision of the levator muscle.
- Neurotoxic ptosis: it is a classic symptom of poisoning, which requires immediate treatment.
The doctor's diagnosis
The only one who can diagnose drooping eyelid is the doctor and better yet, who will do a careful examination of both eyelids, observing the entire eye socket.
Before proceeding with the problem assessment, the following measurements are made precisely:
- Eyelid fissure: distance between the upper and lower eyelid in vertical alignment with the center of the pupil;
- Marginal distance reflected: distance between the center of the pupillary light reflex and the upper and lower eyelid margin.
- Levator muscle function.
- Distance of the skin fold from the upper lid margin.
Other features they can help determine the cause of eyelid ptosis I'm:
- Height of the eyelids;
- Levator muscle strength;
- Eye movements
- Abnormalities in the production of tears
- Incomolete closure of the eyelid rim;
- Presence / absence of double vision, muscle fatigue or weaknessdifficulty speaking or swallowing headache, tingling.
To get to outline the most effective treatment, additional investigations are sometimes carried out by the ophthalmologist. For example, if the patient presents signs of a neurological problem or if the eye exam shows a mass inside the eye socket. In this case, specific examinations will be prescribed.
How to cure drooping eyelid
In less severe cases than drooping eyelid, some may be enough exercises aimed at strengthening the muscle suitable for lifting the eyelid. There are glasses and specific contact lenses to be able to support the eyelid and avoid surgery.
To correct a severe case of eyelid ptosis, the only solution is resort to surgery, through an intervention that hangs up e strengthens the levator muscles, with excellent results also in terms of aesthetics.
If during the operation the surgeon notices that the levator muscles of the eyelid are very weak, may decide to connect the eyelid to the eyebrow, as well it will be the muscles of the forehead that have the task of lifting it.
After the surgery it is normal not to be able to close your eyes completely, and above all it is important to know that this phenomenon could last for at least 2 or 3 weeks.
In exceptional cases it may be necessary a second intervention especially to make the two eyelids are perfectly symmetrical.
Complications that can occur after blepharoplasty include:
- excessive bleeding
- infection in the operated area
- scarring and damage to facial nerves or muscles
Patients suffering from eyelid ptosis, must be regularly examined by an ophthalmologist to monitor the progress of the problem, even if they have not undergone surgery.
Diseases associated with drooping eyelid
There are a whole series of diseases that can increase the risk of developing eyelid ptosis. Which ones are they? Here is the list.
- Diabetes
- Horner's syndrome
- Myasthenia gravis
- Stroke
- Birth trauma
- Brain cancer or other malignancies that can affect nerve or muscle reactions
- Paralysis or injury of the 3rd cranial nerve (oculomotor nerve)
- Trauma to the head or eyelids
- Bell's palsy (damage to the facial nerve)
- Muscular dystrophy
