When looking in the mirror, do youParentsSeeing sleepy looking eyes? Maybe your upper eyelid is drooping slightly or covering your pupil. You may have ptosis.
Ptosis is a condition that can occur in patients of any age. Children and adults can experience ptosis. This eye health problem will certainly interfere with your daily life and risk causing other complications.
To learn more about this ‘drooping eye’ problem, read more in this article.
Definition of Ptosis, the ‘Dropping Eye’ Problem You Should Understand
In terms, “Ptosis” means drooping. When the upper eyelid droops, it is calledblepharoptosis, or upper eyelid ptosis.
So, ptosis is when the upper eyelid droops, covering the pupil (the black dot in the center of your eye that lets light in). Ptosis can limit or even completely block normal vision. Both children and adults can experience ptosis. Fortunately, this condition is treatable.
Symptoms of Ptosis
Quoting the pageWebMD, there are main symptoms and signs of ptosis, namely drooping of one or both eyelids. This condition is not painful, but it can obstruct your vision.
With this health condition, you may have to tilt your head back and lift your chin to see better. Or you may have to arch your eyebrows to lift your eyelids. Over time, these movements can affect your head and neck.
Other symptoms may include asymmetrical creases in the upper eyelid and may be accompanied by abnormal eye movement.
Causes of Ptosis
Why can someone experience ptosis? PageCleveland Clinicwriting, there are several reasons why eyelids can droop. Some babies are born with ptosis in one or both eyelids. These children should have a thorough eyelid examination.
Injuries and Illnesses
Drooping eyes can occur later in life if the muscles or ligaments that normally hold the eyelids up weaken due to injury or disease.
Nerve Damage
Drooping eyelids are sometimes the result of damage to the nerves that control the eyelid muscles.
Aging
Most droopy eyes just happen with aging. As we age, the skin and muscles of the eyelids stretch and weaken. Sometimes, previous eye surgery accelerates this change because the instruments used to hold the eye open during surgery can stretch the eyelids.
Getting to Know the Condition of Congenital Ptosis
Children who are born with ptosis have what is called congenital ptosis. This can be caused by a problem with the muscle that lifts the eyelid (called the levator muscle).
Regarding this health case, the pageAAOexplains, the most obvious sign is a drooping eyelid. Another sign is when the creases of the upper eyelids are not aligned with each other.
A child with drooping eyes may tilt their head back, lift their chin, or raise their eyebrows to try to see better. As explained earlier, these habits can lead to head and neck problems.
Sometimes, children born with this type of droopy eye can also have other eye-related problems. They can have eye movement problems, eye muscle disease, tumors (on the eyelid or elsewhere), and other problems.
Having ptosis puts a child at risk for vision problems . If a child’s eyelid droops so that it blocks vision,amblyopia(also called “ lazy eye ”) may develop.
One eye will have better vision than the other. A child with a droopy eye may also have astigmatism, where they see blurry images. The child may also develop misaligned eyes (squint) .
ParentsIt is necessary to treat your little one with this condition from an early age so that it does not cause long-term vision loss.
Ptosis in Adults
Adults experience drooping eyes (called involutional or acquired ptosis) when the levator muscle stretches or separates from their eyelid. This can be caused by aging or eye injury, the AAO explains.
Sometimes drooping eyes occur as a side effect after certain eye surgeries. Rarely, disease or tumors can affect the eyelid muscles, causing ptosis..
Your eye doctor will find the cause of your ptosis to recommend treatment. They will perform a complete eye exam, and may also want you to have blood tests and imaging tests. Your eye doctor will likely recommend surgery to help your eyelid muscles work better.
Diagnosis
To establish a diagnosis of ptosis, a comprehensive examination consisting of:
Anamnesis
Examination of the signs and symptoms experienced, history of ptosis (duration, factors that worsen or alleviate symptoms, etc.), history of previous illnesses, family history of drooping eyes, and so on.
Physical examination
In the form of a complete eye examination, especially focused on examining the position of the eyelids, vision function, refraction examination, and head position.
Supporting investigation
This examination aims to find out the cause of ptosis. For example, imaging examination of the brain, eyes, and cerebrovascular system if ptosis is accompanied by other neurological deficits or examination of serum antibodies to acetylcholine receptors if there is suspicion ofmyasthenia gravis.
Handling of Children
Ophthalmologists consider the following factors when deciding the best way to treat drooping eyes in children:
- Child age
- Whether one or both eyelids are involved
- Eyelid height
- Eyelid muscle strength
- Eye movements
The AAO writes that in most cases, eye doctors recommend surgery to treat droopy eyes in children. This involves tightening the levator muscle or attaching the eyelid to another muscle that can help lift the eyelid. The goal is to improve vision.
If the child also has amblyopia, that condition must also be treated.Amblyopiacan be treated by wearing a special eye patch or glasses, or using certain eye drops , to strengthen the weaker eye.
Treatment for Adults
For the treatment of drooping eyes in adults, the AAO explains, there are eye drops on the market that can be used, namely the typeoxymetazoline. These drops target the muscle that lifts the eyelid. In some people with droopy eyes, the eyelid opens wider after using the drops. They need to be used every day to keep working well.
OxymetazolineIt doesn’t work for some types of droopy eyelids, such as those that arise from injury or nerve problems. So ask your eye doctor if it’s right for you.
Eye Surgery for Adults
Ptosis surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure, meaning you can go home the same day as the surgery. A local anesthetic will be used to numb your eye and the surrounding area.
Sometimes, the surgeon may only need to make a slight adjustment to the eyelid lifting muscle. For more severe drooping eyes, the levator muscle may need to be strengthened and reattached to the eyelid.
As with any type of surgery, there are potential risks and complications with ptosis repair. Your eye doctor will discuss these with you.
Before eyelid surgery, be sure to tell your eye doctor about all the medications you are taking. Include all prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements. It is important for your eye surgeon to know if you are taking aspirin (or medications containing aspirin) or blood thinners, or if you have any bleeding problems.
Prevention
There is no way to prevent ptosis. The risk of developing this condition can be reduced by taking care of your eye health.
Drooping eyelids are not always harmful to your health. However, if they regularly obstruct your vision, consult an eye specialist.
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These are the things you need to know about drooping eye disorders. Contact a doctor immediately if you or your little one finds the signs, okay?Parents. I hope this helps.
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
