Ophthalmology >>>> Drooping of the eyelid

Drooping of the eyelid.

Ptosis of the upper eyelid or ptosis of the eyelid is a common problem that can be congenital or acquired. The drooping of the eyelid occurs as a result of the absence, underdevelopment or paresis of the muscle that lifts the eyelid.

Congenital ptosis is unilateral and bilateral. Its causes lie in the underdevelopment of the muscle responsible for raising the upper eyelid. As a rule, such an anomaly is transmitted from one of the parents.

Sometimes a congenital cause of ptosis is a malfunction of the oculomotor nerve that regulates the position of the eyelid.

Blepharophimosis can be one of the causes of a congenital drooping eyelid. Blepharophimosis is characterized by a small palpebral fissure, and the disease usually affects both eyes.

Rarely, congenital ptosis of the eyelid is accompanied by Hun's syndrome, in which at the moment of chewing, yawning or wide opening of the mouth, the drooping eyelid is lifted by an impulse coming from the trigeminal nerve and stimulating the levator muscle.

The reasons for drooping eyelid can be the result of some diseases:

neuralgia of the facial nerve,
stroke,
muscle weakness,
palsy of the muscle that raises the eye,
paralysis of the oculomotor nerve,
trauma of the eyelid with subsequent improper scarring, shortening the eyelid,
with tumors,
with aponeurosis.

Signs of eyelid ptosis are visible to the naked eye:

the eyelid does not rise when looking directly,
eyes get tired quickly,
double vision is possible,
there is a desire to close your eyes,
squint may develop.

Ptosis of the eyelid may be accompanied by an increase in intraocular pressure, a drop in vision.

Drooping eyelid is treated surgically. The exception is eyelid ptosis, which has neurogenic causes, in which one can try to apply conservative treatment in the form of physiotherapy to restore nerve functions.

Surgical treatment of eyelid ptosis involves suturing the eyelid to the frontal muscle (in case of its low mobility). In another version, the muscle that lifts the eyelid is shortened. Both operations are not difficult, therefore it is recommended to contact a specialist for help as soon as possible, since ptosis of the eyelid can form a child's wrong vision, ruin his posture and sometimes makes him an object of ridicule by his peers, psychologically making it difficult for him to adapt in society.