Ptosis

Ptosis of the eyelids is a common problem of the eye that occurs, when the muscles responsible for pulling up the upper eyelid fail to function properly. This leads to an improperly raised eyelid. This condition arises, when the person is awake for a long time and thereby the Levator and Muller’s muscle fail to function properly. It is not commonly seen in the young people, but as we grow old, the efficiency of the muscles decreases, so it is a very common problem in the elder ages. There are also congenital forms , where a baby is born with improperly formed eyelid muscles and thereby has a problem in raising the eyelid completely.

There are various forms of the condition that commonly affects human beings these have been described below:

Neurogenic : This occurs when the 3rd Cranial nerve has a defect or has been injured and as this nerve is responsible for stimulating the eyelid muscles, so the person develops a drooping eyelid.

Myogenic : This is caused by the defect in the levator or the Muller’s muscle, which are responsible for lifting up the eyelids.

Aponeurotic: This form of the condition occurs as an outcome of post-operative stress and it may get cured eventually.

Mechanical : This type of ptosis occurs, if the person develops tumor or edema on the upper eyelids.

Neurotoxic : If a person is bitten by a neurotoxin producing venomous snake like the Black Mamba then the victim may develop an eyelid droop in one or both of his eyes. The ptosis is the first symptom that the venom is taking effect and may be followed by respiratory failure and subsequent death if proper measures are not taken.

There are a number of ways in which the problem can be treated. The cure of this eye problem primarily depends on the cause behind the problem. If a person does not want to go in for surgery to cure the problem then they can opt for the Scleral Contact lenses that support the eyelid. Some of the surgical procedures are the levator resection, Muller Muscle Resection and the Frontalis sling operation. All this surgical procedures have been found to give good results with most of the patients.

The surgical procedure becomes indispensible if the eyelid drooping progresses to severe form and interferes with the normal vision of the patient.

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