Droopy Eyelids: How To Cure Eyelid Ptosis?

By Cristiano Antonino On Jun 12, 2023

Droopy eyelids, also called eyelid ptosis, are a condition that can be congenital or can occur later in life. It consists in the partial or complete lowering of the eyelids

Droopy eyelids: what are they?

Eyelid ptosis is a condition known as droopy eyelids.

It is a drooping of the eyelids, upper or lower.

When the condition is present from birth we speak of congenital eyelid ptosis, in the case in which it arises during life instead the pathology is called acquired eyelid ptosis.

When the condition is quite serious and present early in life, the drooping eyelid can give rise to other serious disorders such as amblyopia, for this reason it is essential not to ignore the problem, whether it occurs at birth or when it appears in the course of existence.

Droopy eyelids have pretty obvious symptoms

In fact, the pathology causes the lowering of one or both eyelids.

The appearance of the eyelid can remain the same over time, developing gradually over decades or have an intermittent pattern.

The disturbance is sometimes imperceptible, others it is so evident that the eyelid covers part of the eye, the pupil and the iris.

In the most serious cases, drooping eyelids can prevent normal vision by reducing the width of the visual field.

Eyelid ptosis is easily identified when only one eye is affected, in the event that the disease involves both, a quick diagnosis can be more difficult.

Sometimes the drooping eyelid only changes the appearance of the face, without compromising vision in any way, in other cases it can be the sign of more serious pathologies related to the nerves and the brain.

Patients with droopy eyelids experience difficulty opening or closing their eyes, the skin around the area is saggy and severely lax.

During the day, vision tires easily and pain is felt in the area surrounding the eyes.

In children, eyelid ptosis is most often associated with headache and stiff neck.

This is because young patients tend to tilt their heads back in an attempt to see better.

Drooping eyelids: causes

Droopy eyelids can affect people of any age.

This condition occurs in both adults and children and has several causes.

Congenital ptosis is present from birth and is caused by the lack of development of the muscles that have the task of lifting or closing the eyelid.

In some cases, babies born with droopy eyelids may suffer from muscle diseases, refractive errors, neurological disorders, or tumors.

When ptosis occurs in adulthood it can be linked to aging.

The most common cause is weakening of the eyelid muscles.

Other causes of the disease include injuries or side effects from corrective eye surgery.

The disease can also occur in cases of eye tumors, systemic diseases, such as diabetes, or injuries.

The condition is also linked to the use of opioid drugs, such as morphine and oxycodone, and is a side effect of drug abuse.

Droopy eyelids can be diagnosed by your eye doctor after a careful examination

During the examination, some parameters are evaluated such as the palpebral fissure, i.e. the distance between the upper and lower part of the eyelid in alignment with the center of the pupil, the marginal reflex distance 1 (MRD-1) between the center of the pupillary reflex and the upper eyelid margin, the MRD-2, i.e. the distance between the center of the pupillary reflex and the lower eyelid margin.

The specialist will also check the function of the levator muscle and the distance of the skin crease to the upper eyelid margin (MFD).

An examination of the binocular visual field can also be used, which will show a reduction in its amplitude.

Treatment and therapies

If the droopy eyelids are mild and the disorder does not interfere with vision, the problem can be solved with eye exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles.

Some specialists also recommend the use of “crutch” glasses or scleral contact lenses that allow the eyelid to be supported.

In the most serious cases it is possible to intervene surgically by shortening and therefore strengthening the action of the elevator muscle of the eyelid, or in the most serious cases in which the residual function of the muscle is non-existent, by connecting the eyelid margin to the forehead muscle. In this way the function of the eyelid will depend on the use of the frontalis muscle.

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