Eyes Lid Drooping
General Information
Drooping of one or both of the eyelids is called ptosis or blepharoptosis. It may involve one or both eyes. There are many causes of a drooping eyelid, some of which are particularly common in the elderly. Often the drooping comes on very gradually and the patient is not aware of the change.
Ptosis or drooping eyelid in the elderly is usually a result of a mechanical change in the support of the eyelid. Gradual stretching of the skin with age will permit the lid to droop. Eye infections, trauma, or surgery to the eye may accelerate these changes. The tendon that attaches to the muscle that opens the eyelid may become stretched either with age or because of infection, trauma, or surgery. When this happens, the eyelid droops. Other diseases also can cause drooping eyelids.
Important Points in Treatment
Drooping eyelids alone rarely cause visual impairment. The physician’s concern is with the possible underlying diseases that can cause the droop and may themselves require treatment. Patients are often bothered by the cosmetic appearance of the drooping lids. In the absence of underlying disease, little, other than plastic surgery, can be done to reverse the drooping lid.
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