Upper eyelid ptosis is a very common problem that both adults and children face. Pathology is accompanied by prolapse of the tissues of the upper eyelid - in the last stages of the eyelid completely covers the eye. Despite the fact that in most cases ptosis is perceived solely as a cosmetic defect, sometimes pathology leads to complications.
That is why many people are looking for additional data. Why does pathology develop? What symptoms should I look for? How is ptosis of the upper eyelid treated? The operation and features of the postoperative period, massage, conservative treatment, recipes of alternative medicine are important information that should not be ignored.
A brief description of the pathology
Ptosis is a pathological condition that is accompanied by the omission of the upper eyelid so that it closes the iris by 2 mm or more. In addition, this disease is said to be if one eyelid is lower than another.
The disease can be both congenital and acquired. In any case, it should be understood that this is not only a cosmetic defect. For example, in adults, this pathology leads to the development of dry eye syndrome, provokes the development of various inflammatory diseases. If we are talking about drooping the eyelid in a child, then it is worthwhile to understand that ptosis can interfere with the normal development of the visual analyzer.
Upper eyelid ptosis: causes
A similar pathology can appear at different ages. The causes of ptosis of the upper eyelid are definitely worth considering. If we are talking about congenital forms of the disease, then it often appears on the background:
- various abnormalities in the development of muscles that raise the upper eyelid (often a similar disease is combined with amblyopia and strabismus);
- lesions of the nerve centers that control the work of the facial or oculomotor nerves.
Acquired forms of the disease can develop against the background of the impact of certain risk factors. Depending on the etiology, ptosis is divided into the following types.
- Neurogenic ptosis is the result of neurological diseases. For example, pathology can develop against the background of transient ischemic attack, multiple sclerosis. The causes also include the formation of tumors in the brain, as well as meningitis, neuritis of the facial nerve. Ptosis in such cases can be supplemented by retraction of the eyeball, paralysis, expansion or narrowing of the pupil (usually one-sided).
- Aponeurotic ptosis develops due to the weakening or excessive stretching of the muscles that are responsible for lifting the upper eyelid. In most cases, such a pathology is the result of improperly performed cosmetic facelift operations.
- Mechanical ptosis is the result of trauma to the eyelid or eye. The omission of the eyelid may be the result of penetration into the conjunctival cavity of foreign bodies. The risk group in this case includes athletes, as well as representatives of some other professions, in particular, welders, miners, etc.
- Some people have false ptosis. There is no omission of the eyelid - the impression is created by the appearance of skin folds on the eyelid. As a rule, elderly patients face a similar problem.
Ptosis of the upper eyelid: photos and symptoms
The clinical picture largely depends on the causes of the appearance of the pathology, as well as on the degree of its development. Ptosis of the upper eyelid is accompanied by drooping eyelids, which leads to complete or partial closure of the gap of the eye.
The disease, as a rule, develops gradually. Subconsciously, the patient strains his forehead muscles and raises his eyebrows, trying to pull the eyelid up. Since the eyelid is lowered, the blinking movements are impaired - the eyes quickly overwork. A person complains of constant pain and burning in the eyes.
The blinking frequency decreases, which gradually leads to damage to the tear film - dry eye syndrome develops in such a way that only further exacerbates the situation. Patients suffer from discomfort in the eyes. In addition, the risk of developing inflammatory and infectious eye diseases is increased.
Children also often suffer from a disease such as ptosis of the upper eyelid. Reviews of doctors indicate that it is difficult to identify such an ailment in infancy, since the infant almost always occupies a horizontal position - drooping of the eyelids is not so noticeable. Symptoms can be attributed only to frequent blinking during meals, however, such a violation is not observed in every small patient.
At an older age, the child may experience uncontrolled muscle contraction on the affected part of the face - this is often mistaken for a nervous tic. Sometimes a child complains of rapid eye fatigue. During reading, writing or other activities, the small patient often throws his head back, trying to return the eyelid to its natural position.
Congenital ptosis of the upper eyelid is often associated with other pathologies. For example, in some children, an overhang of a fold of skin above the upper eyelid (epicanthus) can be seen. Possible paralysis of the oculomotor muscles, strabismus, as well as damage to the cornea, which is fraught with decreased vision.
Classification: forms and types of disease
Treatment of ptosis of the upper eyelid directly depends on the variety and stage of development of the pathology. The classification of pathology depending on the causes of its occurrence was considered above.
In addition, ptosis of the upper eyelid can be congenital or acquired. Pathology is most often one-sided, although the likelihood of a bilateral lesion is not ruled out (omission of two centuries at once is observed).
During diagnosis, the degree of omission is also taken into account. Three forms are distinguished depending on this:
- partial ptosis - the upper eyelid overlaps no more than a third of the pupil;
- incomplete ptosis - the pupil is closed by about half;
- complete ptosis - there is a complete omission of the eyelid, the pupil is completely closed, as a result of which the eye does not function.
Diagnostic measures
In fact, the diagnosis is rarely associated with any difficulties. Already during a visual examination, the doctor may notice the presence of ptosis of the upper eyelid. It is very important to find out the degree of omission of the eyelid. The width of the palpebral fissure is also measured, the degree of mobility of the eyebrows and eyeballs, the symmetry of the arrangement of the eyelids, and so on are evaluated.
If there is a suspicion of visual impairment, then additional ophthalmological tests are mandatory. In particular, it is important to check visual acuity, change the angle of strabismus (if any), and determine the amount of accommodation. Perimetry and exophthalmometry, a study of binocular vision are also performed.
With mechanical ptosis, the patient is also sent for radiography of the orbit - this helps confirm or rule out the presence of damage to bone structures. If there is a suspicion of the neurogenic origin of ptosis, then the patient is shown magnetic resonance or computed tomography.
Conservative treatment of ptosis
Treatment of ptosis of the upper eyelid in some cases can be carried out conservatively. It is immediately worth noting that therapy for such a disease is primarily aimed at normalizing the work of the visual analyzer and only then at eliminating cosmetic defects.
Conservative treatment includes massage of the affected part of the face, as well as special gymnastic exercises. Sometimes patients are prescribed drugs that enhance blood circulation and nerve tissue nutrition. If ptosis is caused by an injection of botulinum toxin, then patients are prescribed eye drops, which include phenylephrine, alfagan, lopidine. Such drugs increase the contraction of the oculomotor muscles, as a result of which the eyelid rises.
Sometimes physiotherapy procedures are effective, in particular, galvanization (exposure to the affected area by electric current) and ultrahigh-frequency therapy (the cornea is exposed to a high-frequency electromagnetic field).
Massage
How to treat ptosis of the upper eyelid? Often in the treatment regimen include massage, which, by the way, can be done independently. The technique in this case is very simple.
- First you need to prepare. Hands are recommended to be washed and treated with an antibacterial agent. The skin around the eyes also needs to be cleaned by removing the remnants of makeup.
- The skin is treated with massage oil, after which neat, stroking movements are performed from the inner corner of the eye to the outer.
- After the tissues have already been warmed up, you can proceed to tapping, moving on the skin around the eyes. In this case, eyeballs should not be touched.
- Further, it is recommended to cover the eyes for several minutes with cotton pads dipped in chamomile infusion.
Gymnastics for the eyes
Treatment of ptosis of the upper eyelid without surgery includes the regular implementation of special exercises for the face.
- Sit and relax, look forward. Now do circular eye movements five times (clockwise). Exercise should be performed slowly, without stress.
- First, look up, then open your mouth and begin to blink often. At first, the exercise should last 30 seconds, but gradually this time can be increased.
- Close your eyes, count to five, and then open your eyes wide and look forward. The exercise must be repeated six times.
- Tilt your head back, then close your eyes and freeze for a few seconds.
Of course, such a set of exercises should be performed daily (preferably 2-3 times a day). It is believed that such therapeutic gymnastics not only helps to combat drooping of the eyelids - it also has a positive effect on vision. Such measures help strengthen muscles, improve blood circulation, tighten the skin.
Folk remedies
Many people are interested in questions about whether ptosis can be treated at home. Of course, some recipes of traditional medicine will help tighten and refresh the skin. Nevertheless, such funds can only be used with the permission of a doctor and only as an auxiliary.
- Ice is a great helper in the fight against sagging skin. For the procedure, a decoction of almost any medicinal herbs, for example, chamomile flowers, as well as sage, parsley, etc., is suitable. Pour the broth into molds and freeze it. Every day, treat the skin of the eyelids and around the eyes with an ice cube (the procedure is best done after washing with warm water).
- Decoctions of herbs can be used for compresses. For this purpose, birch leaves, parsley are suitable. In a chilled broth, blot gauze or a cotton pad, which then put on the eyelids. The compress should remain for about 10 minutes.
- Perfectly tones, nourishes and tightens the skin of an egg mask. For its preparation use only the yolk, which must be mixed with a small amount of olive or sesame oil. Beat the ingredients until a homogeneous mass is obtained - the resulting mixture must be treated with the skin of the upper eyelid and left for 20 minutes. The remnants of the product are washed off with warm water.
- For masks, you can use essential oils of rosemary, lavender and thyme (they are mixed with nutritious vegetable oil). They have anti-inflammatory properties and soothe the skin.
Such procedures significantly improve the condition of the skin, increase its tone, and this has a positive effect on the condition of the eyelids.
Surgical intervention
Unfortunately, many patients ultimately require an upper eyelid ptosis operation. Reviews of experts confirm that this is perhaps the only really effective way of therapy. To date, several techniques have been developed.
- Sometimes the eyelid is fixed, hemming it to the frontal muscle. The procedure, as a rule, is carried out with insufficient mobility of the eyelid. It is worth noting that the cosmetic effect of this procedure is not so pronounced. Nevertheless, the operation rarely causes any complications.
- If the patient retains the mobility of the eyelid, then the doctor may decide on a partial resection of the muscle that raises the eyelids. A shortened muscle will not allow the eyelid to fall too much. The procedure is relatively simple: through a small incision on the skin of the upper eyelid, the surgeon creates access to the muscle, excises its part, after which a small part of the skin fold is removed.
- With good mobility of the upper eyelid, the doctor may decide to impose a duplicate of muscle aponeurosis. A U-shaped seam is applied to the muscle that lifts the eyelids. Due to this, the muscle length is reduced - the eyelid rises and takes its natural position.
Rehabilitation after the procedure takes only a few days.
Predictions for Patients
Ptosis of the upper eyelid is an extremely unpleasant disease, which in no case should be ignored. Immediately it is worth saying that conservative methods of therapy can rarely provide a lasting result, although regular exercises, self-massage and other procedures help to slow down the process of lowering the eyelid.
However, in most cases, the only way to truly treat upper eyelid ptosis is through surgery. Forecasts for patients are favorable. But if untreated, the disease can lead to a decrease in visual acuity. Moreover, sometimes patients develop the so-called lazy eye syndrome. Amblyopia is a pathology as a result of which one eye simply stops working, and in the absence of therapy, the structures of the visual analyzer gradually atrophy.