You may not have heard of ptosis before (pronounced as “tow-sis”), but it is an eye condition that deserves attention, especially among children.
Image credit: Andrewya, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
What’s ptosis?
Ptosis is when the upper eyelid droops over the eye. The eyelid may droop just a little, or so much that it covers the pupil (the black dot at the center of your eye that lets light in). In some cases, the upper eyelid creases do not line up evenly with each other.
Ptosis in children
If a child is born with ptosis, it is called congenital ptosis. The problem lies within the muscle that lifts the eyelid, called the levator muscle. Ptosis in children can further develop into other problems, such as eye movement issues, eye muscle diseases, tumors (on the eyelid or elsewhere) and vision problems. The most common vision problem associated with ptosis is called the “lazy eye” (medically known as amblyopia), in which one eye will have a better vision than the others. Other vision problems include astigmatism and misaligned (crossed) eyes.
Ptosis in adults
On the other hand, ptosis in adults can also occur as a result of aging or eye injury that causes the levator muscle to be separated away from the eyelid. Sometimes ptosis happens as a side effect after certain eye surgery. Rarely, diseases or tumors can affect the eyelid muscle, causing ptosis.
Treatment for ptosis
Before resting on a treatment decision, your ophthalmologist would carry a complete eye examination. That being said, there’s not many treatment options to go around — a) eyedrop OR b) surgery
Eye drops for treating ptosis
There are prescription eye drops available for ptosis in adults only. That being said, they generally help with the symptoms only and not addressing the root cause of ptosis. A medication known as oxymetazoline hydrochloride 0.1% eye drops holds promise for the treatment of ptosis in adults. Oxymetazoline acts upon upregulated receptors in Müller's muscle, a muscle structurally related to the levator muscle. In a pooled analysis of two small, short-term trials of 304 total patients with ptosis, oxymetazoline was shown to improve their vision compared with placebo at the two-week assessment.
Side effects of oxymetazoline eye drop include eye irritation when applying, acute angle closure glaucoma, and changes in blood pressure.
Surgery
Surgery is the preferred choice for children in ptosis and certain ptosis cases in adults. This is to either tighten the levator muscle or attach the eyelid to other muscles that can help lift the eyelid, thus improving vision. As with any type of surgery, there are possible risks and complications with ptosis repair. Your ophthalmologist will discuss these with you.
Before eyelid surgery, be sure to tell your ophthalmologist about all the medicines you take. Include all prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements. It is important for your eye surgeon to know if you take aspirin (or aspirin-containing drugs) or blood thinners, or if you have a bleeding problem.
A word from DOC2US
If you have any questions related to eye health, you can consult our professional doctors and healthcare professionals on DOC2US. DOC2US is a mobile application that allows you to talk to a doctor or any healthcare professionals via text chat at any time and from anywhere. For better communication, you can even send our online doctor images or voice messages related to your medical inquiry.
Download DOC2US app on Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Huawei App Gallery; or use our web chat at https://web.doc2us.com/
Note: DOC2US is not for medical emergencies. In the event of urgent medical conditions, please call 999.
Disclaimer: As a service to our users and general public, DOC2US provides health education contents. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
References
Cover image credit: Andrewya, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
