Drooping eyelids, or ptosis, can interfere with your appearance and vision. If you have ptosis, you should immediately see a doctor. Treatment of drooping eyelids depends on the diagnosis as well as the severity of the disease. Learn more about this condition so you can more easily discuss treatment options with your doctor.
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Method 1 of 2: Treating Droopy Eyelids
Step 1. Get a diagnosis from a doctor
Before your droopy eyelid is treated, see a doctor for a diagnosis. Ptosis can be a sign of a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. The doctor will take a medical history and perform a physical exam to look for symptoms of neurological problems, infections, autoimmune disorders, and other diseases. Some of the things doctors do to get a diagnosis are:
- Eye exam to test eye acuity
- Slit lamp examination to check for abrasions or corneal injuries
- A pressure test to check for myasthenia gravis, which is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness.
Step 2. Resolve the causative condition
If your eyelids are caused by a certain condition, treat the condition before undergoing ptosis treatment. Treating this condition will help improve your eyelids.
- For example, if you are diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, your doctor will prescribe a variety of medications to treat the condition, including physostigmine, neostigmine, prednisone, and immunomodulators.
- Other conditions that can cause drooping eyelids are third nerve palsy and Horner's syndrome. There is no cure for this disorder, but the symptoms of third nerve palsy can be relieved by surgery.
Step 3. Ask your doctor if your eye needs surgery
Currently, there are no home remedies that can cure ptosis. This condition can only be cured with surgery. The surgical procedure to cure ptosis is called blepharoplasty. During the procedure, the surgeon will remove excess skin and fat pads, and tighten the skin on the eyelids. The operating procedure is:
- Before the operation begins, the surgeon will give you a general anesthetic to numb the area of the upper and lower eyelids. After that, the doctor will make an incision in the crease of the eyelid. Next, the excess fat in the eyelids will be sucked out slowly. Then, the surgeon will remove the excess skin and reattach the eyelid skin with stitches.
- The operation takes approximately 2 hours and usually the patient can go home immediately.
- After surgery, the eyelid will be bandaged so that it heals and is well protected. You should follow your doctor's instructions when cleaning and caring for the wound after surgery. The bandage can usually be removed for a week after surgery.
- Your doctor may prescribe eye drops and painkillers to make your eye heal more comfortably.
Step 4. Seek immediate medical attention if needed
In some situations, ptosis can be a serious problem and require emergency treatment. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience the following symptoms:
- Sore eyes
- Headache
- Changes in eye sight
- Face immobile (paralyzed)
- Nausea or vomiting.
Method 2 of 2: Understanding Ptosis
Step 1. Learn the function of the eyelids
The eyelids not only provide protection to the eyes, but also have several other important roles. When you have ptosis, your eyelids are also unable to perform the following functions:
- Protects the eyes from harmful elements, such as dust, debris, bright light, and so on.
- Lubricates and moisturizes the eyes by removing tears from the surface of the eyes when blinking.
- Cleans irritating objects in the eye with a lot of tear production.
Step 2. Understand the anatomy of your eyelids
The eyelids have muscles to open and close the eyelids. In addition there are also fat pads that enlarge with age. The anatomical aspects of the eyelids affected by ptosis include:
- Orbicularis oculi. The muscles that surround the eyes are responsible for making facial expressions. In addition, this muscle is also connected to other muscles.
- Superior palpebral levator. This muscle is responsible for lifting the upper eyelid.
- Fat pads. It is located in the crease of the upper eyelid.
Step 3. Recognize the symptoms of ptosis
Ptosis is the scientific name for drooping eyelids. The severity varies from person to person, but in addition to the increase in skin around the eyelids, sufferers usually experience other symptoms, such as:
- Hanging eyelids
- Increased tear production
- Visual disturbance
Step 4. Assess the cause of the ptosis
Ptosis is caused by a loss of elasticity of the eye muscles and can be caused by a variety of factors and conditions. Your doctor will be able to provide the right type of treatment once the cause of your droopy eyelids is known (this is why a doctor's diagnosis is so important). Some of the causes of ptosis include:
- Age
- Genetic elements or congenital malformations
- Lazy eye (amblyopia)
- Dehydration due to drugs, alcohol, and/or tobacco use.
- Allergic reaction
- Infections of the eyelids (eg stye) or infections of the eye (eg bacterial conjunctivitis)
- Bell's Palsy
- stroke
- Lyme disease
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Horner's Syndrome
Tips
- Try using an eye cream daily to keep your eyes moist. However, keep in mind that creams and other cosmetic drugs have not shown effective results in curing ptosis.
- If you often feel weak when you suffer from drooping eyelids, see a doctor immediately. Weakness is one of the symptoms of myasthenia gravis.
