Causes, manifestations and treatment of ptosis of the upper eyelid

Causes, manifestations and treatment of ptosis of the upper eyelid

Symptoms and treatment of ptosis of the upper eyelid

Ptosis of the upper eyelid is called its drooping. The question "Why did my eyelid droop?", "How to remove ptosis after using Botox?" and others often worry patients. But this problem is not purely cosmetic – ptosis of the upper eyelid can signal a rather serious pathology. Therefore, not only cosmetic surgeons, but also related specialists - neuropathologists, maxillofacial surgeons, neurosurgeons are engaged in it. Also, correction of ptosis of the upper eyelid can be carried out with the help of special exercises, without using surgical intervention.

This disease can be:

  • congenital;
  • acquired.

Congenital ptosis of the upper eyelid occurs due to a failure in the fetal development of the unborn child, as a result of which the muscle that lifts the upper eyelid is underdeveloped or absent at all, so it hangs down. Most often, this is the cause of ptosis of the upper eyelid in a child.

Acquired ptosis occurs due to:

  • traumatization of the upper eyelid;
  • the disease is mainly neurological in nature.

Most often this pathology is observed in:

  • strokes (cerebral circulation disorders);
  • encephalitis (inflammatory effect of brain tissues);
  • Horner's syndrome (with it, in addition to drooping of the eyelid, there is also a narrowing of the pupil and a sunken eyeball)

and other diseases and pathological conditions.

At the same time, paresis or complete paralysis of the oculomotor nerve, which is responsible for the nerve supply of the muscle that lifts the upper eyelid, occurs. In a number of cases, the cause of ptosis of the upper eyelid in children and adults is stretching of the specified muscle.

Gravitational ptosis of the upper eyelid is separately distinguished - its sagging under the influence of gravity (most often observed with an age-related decrease in the elasticity of soft tissues).

Classification of ptosis of the upper eyelid

Ptosis of the upper eyelid can be:

  • one-sided (occurs most often with injury);
  • bilateral (occurs mainly in neurological diseases).

There are 3 degrees of severity of this pathology:

  • 1 – the upper eyelid covers the upper third of the pupil;
  • 2 – the upper eyelid covers the upper two thirds of the pupil;
  • 3 – the upper eyelid completely covers the pupil.

The degrees of ptosis of the upper eyelid in children are the same.

Symptoms and diagnosis

This pathology can manifest itself not only in excessive lowering of the upper eyelid, but also in other symptoms. First of all, patients complain about:

  • feeling of a foreign body in the eyes;
  • progressive deterioration of vision;
  • double vision;
  • eye fatigue, which occurs even with a slight visual load.

The following signs can be detected during an objective examination:

  • strabismus;
  • redness and irritation of the eyeballs;
  • restriction of mobility of the upper eyelid and incomplete closing of the eye (closing of the upper and lower eyelids);
  • asymmetry of the eye slit;
  • characteristic behavior of the patient - in order to examine the object, he is forced to tilt his head back.

Also, when evaluating this pathology, they study:

  • the strength of the muscle that lifts the eyelid (this parameter is important when prescribing exercises to correct ptosis of the upper eyelid without surgery);
  • mobility of the eyelid;
  • height and appearance of the fold of the upper eyelid;
  • degree of eyebrow tension;
  • presence of lagophthalmos (inability to completely cover the eye with the upper eyelid);
  • production of tear fluid.

Such parameters are important for choosing tactics for treating ptosis of the upper eyelid.

In addition, instrumental diagnostic methods are used, namely:

  • examination of the cornea - it is carried out in order to detect dystrophic changes of the cornea;
  • exophthalmometry - this method of research is important for detecting exophthalmos (squinting), which can give a false impression of the presence of ptosis.

Treatment of ptosis of the upper eyelid

Treatment of this pathology depends on its cause and degree of development. Congenital ptosis of the upper eyelid can be cured only with the help of surgery.

If acquired ptosis of the upper eyelid arose due to paresis of the oculomotor nerve, which, in turn, was caused by some neurological disease, then there is every chance to eliminate the pathology by eliminating its cause.

To restore the function of the oculomotor nerve, such conservative methods are used as:

  • UHF;
  • galvanotherapy;
  • drugs that improve blood supply and trophic (nutrition) of the nerve - including adaptogens (general tonics), vitamin complexes.

Special exercises for the eyes are also used, which help to strengthen the muscle that lifts the upper eyelid.

If conservative methods are ineffective, surgical correction of ptosis of the upper eyelid is performed. The price of surgery to eliminate ptosis is absolutely affordable. Surgical intervention consists in plastic surgery of the upper eyelid.

You can learn more about the treatment of this pathology on our website https://dobrobut.com/. At the same time, you will receive a more detailed answer to the question of how to deal with gravitational ptosis (sagging of the skin that has lost its elasticity due to the effect of gravity on it - including sagging of the upper eyelid).

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Updated: 03.04.2025
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Doctors who advise on this issue:
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Vasiuta Vira Anatoliivna
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Dzhumik Valentyna Anatoliivna
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Skorobohatova Olha Valentynivna
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