Droopy eyelid or ptosis means your eyelid droop over your eye. This can impair your vision and lead to other complications. The condition can be present at birth or acquired later in life, and there are a host of treatment options available.
If ptosis is affecting you, be sure to book an appointment with your eye care specialist to discuss the available options. But before doing that, it would be ideal to have an insight into what ptosis and what brings it about. Let’s get started!
What is Ptosis?
Ptosis is a condition in which your upper eyelid drops, sags or falls over your eye. It mostly happens due to your levator muscle failing to work as it should be. The levator muscle is the muscle that lifts your eyelid. The condition can hinder your vision or block it completely, depending on how much your lid droops.
You can also refer to ptosis as blepharoptosis, upper eyelid ptosis or droopy eyelid. It is important to note that there are two types of ptosis i.e., congenital ptosis and acquired ptosis. Congenital ptosis means your child was born with the condition.
Issues with the development of the levator muscle lead to this type of ptosis.Acquired ptosis, on the other hand, affects adults later in life. It occurs when your levator muscleweakens or separates away from your eyelid.
You can easily tell if you or your child has ptosis by how the eyelid appear. It may cover only your upper eye, or it may cover your entire pupil. Other ptosis symptoms may include excessive rubbing of your eyes, increased tearing, decreased or impaired vision, tiredness and achiness around your eyes, and children may tip their heads back to see.
The ptosis you have to contend with depends on the type. Some babies are born with ptosis in one or both eyelids, commonly referred to as congenital ptosis. However, ptosis can occur later in life if the muscle or ligaments that normally raise your eyelid are weakened by injury or diseases.
At times, the drooping is a result of damage to the nerves that control your eyelid muscles. However, there are some diseases and conditions that may lead to ptosis. They include stye, stroke, Horner syndrome, myasthenia gravis, tumor, and external ophthalmoplegia.
Be sure to get in touch with your eye doctor for check up to deal with any worries.