You may discover that your upper eyelids or that of someone close to you droop downward. Well, the condition is not a strange one. This health condition is referred to as ptosis or droopy eyelids and it sometimes affects one or both eyelids. It is a case of the eyebrows drooping suddenly.
In this article, we will touch on every important detail you need to know about these droopy eyebrow.
- What are droopy eyelids?
- What Is Droopy Eyebrow?
- The best drooping eyebrow exercises that can help. These will include both surgical and nonsurgical choices.
- How do you prevent eyebrows drooping suddenly?
- When is the right time to consult a doctor?
These are only a few details among many others you will discover in this text. So, keep reading!
What Is Droopy Eyelid?
As mentioned above, ptosis or droopy eyelids occurs when the upper eyelid droops downward. Sometimes, doctors treat a droopy eyelid with surgery. While, at other times, surgery may not be necessary.
The decision on whether or not to use surgical methods depends on the causes. Eyebrows drooping suddenly may be due to damage to the eye or genetics. More so, the condition tends to affect people of certain ages more.
Furthermore, eyelids can droop in many ways. In some instances, the droop is insignificant and does not cause any difficulties. In other instances, however, the eyelid may droop in such a way that it covers the pupil. Such can affect a person’s sight negatively.
Meanwhile, the first case where a person suffers a little droop to their eyelids is a cosmetic case. Hence, such a person may feel sad about how their eyelids look. However, such a case of droopy eyelids does not cause any impact on the way their eye works.
But, when the eyelid droops farther, the case now affects more. Such droopy eyelids may probably impede the individual’s sight. Moreover, a person might suffer from droopy eyelids due to various reasons. Sometimes, the condition begins right from childhood. But, it mostly comes with age.
In addition, you may notice eyelids drooping suddenly when there is a separation of the muscle in the eyelid. The condition may also result from a problem affecting the eyelid nerves.
Finally, you can confirm you suffer from droopy eyelids or ptosis when the upper eyelid droops lower than normal. Additionally, symptoms might appear as creases on the upper eyelids not seeming equal between the left and right eye.
When Should You Seek Treatment For Droopy Eyelid?
Sometimes, a droopy eyelid may fix itself without any treatment. Plus, when such droopy eyelids do not result in any difficulty for a person’s sight, treatments may be unnecessary. Meanwhile, the right treatment option hinges on the true cause of the droopy eyelid. Also, consider how it affects the person. Lastly, how old is the person affected.
For instance, a child that has a droopy eyelid often undergoes a surgical process. That is as the odds that the droopy eyelid will affect the child’s sight are high.
Note that a doctor will not just administer treatment. Before doing so, the following assessments will be carried out on the person:
- A thorough eye exam
- blood tests
- imaging tests
From these assessments, the doctor can now administer the right treatment.
Truly, eyebrow drooping suddenly might be an effect of aging. Yet, when a person has troubles with their eyelids, it pays to consult a doctor first before the issues begin to impact their vision negatively.
Simply put, a person should consult a doctor when:
- they look more tired facially than they really are
- their eyes keep tearing up
- they have blurry vision
Lastly, in a few cases, droopy eyelids may indicate a medical condition in the background. It might be a problem with the brain, nerves, or muscles. However, droopy eyelids do not result in any health issues. And most times, it is not difficult to handle.
What Is Droopy Eyebrow?
Our focus here will be on the different forms of droopy eyebrow and the various likely causes.
Forms or Cases Of Droopy Eyebrow
Droopy eyebrow is often different from person to person. This is an effect of the form of ptosis the person suffers from. Below is a description of a few distinct forms and cases of droopy eyebrow.
Aponeurotic Ptosis
This is the most popular case of droopy eyebrow. Cases of aponeurotic ptosis mostly come with age. Oftentimes, this form begins when a person reaches their 50s or 60s. This case is less common amongst younger persons. Although, it is still possible.
Sometimes, it all begins following a trauma to the eye. And, it may be a side effect of a surgical process. Some persons experience this form of droopy eyelids due to wearing contact lenses for a long time.
Myogenic Ptosis
Here is another form that comes from issues with the elevator muscle. The elevator muscle is responsible for eyelid movements. This form of droopy eyebrow comes up when this elevator muscle stops functioning as it should. Then, the muscle cannot lift the eyelid into position anymore.
Moreover, this form of ptosis does not stop with the eyelids. Also, it often impacts other aspects of a person’s facial expression.
Neurogenic Ptosis
Neurogenic ptosis comes from difficulties with the nerve courses in the eyelid muscles. For this form of droopy eyelids, it is mostly a direct effect of conditions. Some of these conditions are:
- Third Cranial Nerve Palsy
- Horner syndrome.
More so, there is an indirect link between this case of droopy eyebrow and issues like:
- Multiple sclerosis
- Tumors
- Carotid-cavernous aneurysms
- Diabetes
Congenital Ptosis
You see the effects of this case of droopy eyelids from birth. Mostly, it has genetic roots. It affects either one or both eyelids. Congenital ptosis causes a hindrance to a person’s vision. Lastly, it causes amblyopia also known as lazy eye.
Side Note: Reports from a study carried out in 2013 reveals 107 children with droopy eyelids with cases of lazy eye present in about 1 of every 7 participants.
Mechanical ptosis
At times, ptosis may develop when the eyelid gets too heavy to handle. The additional weight may come from excess fat or the skin. More so, this may also result from the presence of a tumor on the eyelid.
Pseudoptosis
More often than not, the cause of droopy eyelids stems from an issue with the levator muscle. Nevertheless, a case of droopy eyebrow may be due to other factors. That time, it is called pseudoptosis.
This case may stem from the ailment, blepharospasm. This ailment causes eye twitches or frantic blinking. Likewise, it may result from a hemifacial spasm. (Hemifacial spasm is a nervous system condition that affects a side of the face)
Enough of all this medical jargon. The whole summary is that a case of droopy eyebrow might come in any of these forms. A knowledge of the form it comes in will prove helpful when dealing with the condition.
Causes Of Droopy Eyelid
First off, keep this in mind. A doctor will always consider the following parameters to determine the cause of droopy eyelids. The factors are:
- the person’s age
- their levator muscle function
- any previous medical conditions they suffered
- the severity of the eyelid droop
Meanwhile, to examine the levator muscle function, this is what the doctor does. The doctor scales the length the eyelid travels when the person switches from an upward gaze to a downward gaze. By knowing the true cause of the droopy eyelid, treating it becomes easier.
As we stated earlier, cases of droopy eyelid can come right from birth sometimes. But, most of the time, people acquire it later in life. These are the causes of such cases:
- Aging
- Excessive Eye Rubbing
- Stretching out eyelid muscles or ligaments too far
- Damage to the nerve affecting the eyelid muscles
- Complications from Botox injections
- Eye injuries
- Eye surgery complications
- Trauma
- Tumors
- Accidental tearing of the levator that serves as tendon-like sheathe.
- Using rigid contact lenses
- Cysts or swelling around the eye
- Horner’s syndrome
- Muscular difficulties
- Neurological disorders
The delicate nature of the eyes and eyelids cannot be overemphasized. Watch out for all of these causes as most of them are avoidable.
Droopy Eyebrow Exercises
What happens after discovering a case of droopy eyelids and knowing the causes? The right droopy eyebrow exercises must come in.
Here are the different drooping eyebrow exercises or treatments administrable. Not only the types of treatment. Also, discover the possible risks involved in this process.
Nonsurgical Droopy Eyebrow Exercises
Certain droopy eyebrow exercises involve surgery. Still, certain droopy eyebrow exercises do not involve surgeries. Some of them are:
- Using eye drops as prescribed by a doctor
- Wearing specialized glasses to boost eyesight
- Prescribed medications from a doctor
- Botox injections
Also, taking doses of the medication oxymetazoline can influence the levator muscle.
In all, a doctor may recommend using any of these alternatives. Then, depending on the results, surgery may be required or not.
Surgical Droopy Eyebrow Exercises
For the surgical options, there are various types a person may undergo to correct this condition. The cause of the eyebrow drooping suddenly will matter here.
Levator Resection
This is a procedure to treat poor levator function. Levator resection involves reducing the levator muscle in length.
When the droopy eyelids condition is mechanical, the surgeon may extract the excess mass and any extra skin on the eyelid. An example of this kind of situation is that of an added weight on the eyelid.
Frontalis Sling Treatment
When the difficulty is from the levator muscle functions, the established surgical choice will be a frontalis sling procedure. When administering the process, the forehead muscle helps to control the upper eyelid.
This frontalis sling treatment is a distinguished choice for myogenic ptosis as well.
Other Surgical Droopy Eyebrow Exercises
Fasanella-Servat Mullerectomy, surgical brow lift, fat transfer, and levator aponeurosis advancement are the other surgical dropping eyebrow exercises. Doctors mostly recommend these surgical exercises for people dealing with droopy eyelids when it doesn’t involve the levator muscle function.
Risks Associated With Surgical Droopy Eyebrow Exercises
The majority of these surgical droopy eyebrow exercises are outpatient treatments. Hence, the person is free to go back home the same day.
The chances are slim, yet, there are a few risks associated with these surgical procedures. They are:
- Reduced or Blurry Eyesight
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Over-correction or Under-correction
The only time these surgical processes are relevant is when the droopy eyelids affect the patient’s vision directly.
Expectations And Associated Risks Surrounding Droopy Eyebrow Exercises
Sometimes, treatment may not be needed. This is mostly in cases where the droopy eyelids do not affect eyesight in any way. Nevertheless, a droopy eyelid can cover the pupil. That can affect eyesight sometimes. Then, treatment becomes necessary.
Note: Droppy eyebrow exercises or treatments will depend on how severe the case is.
Droopy eyelids rarely result in discomfort or other health problems. Therefore, treatment is not necessary most time. However, treatment may be preferable for cosmetic reasons and, also to rectify visual damages.
In some cases, surgical processes are necessary to treat droopy eyelids in certain cases. The surgery is mostly to fasten the levator muscle. Sometimes, it is to fix the levator aponeurosis. That alone can help raise the eyelid as it should be.
Note that the procedure is safe. However, complications are possible during these surgical procedures. In certain cases, the surgery might not rectify the problem as it should. Also, the surgery might overcurrent the problem. Then, the eyelid is either too low or too high. And, another surgery becomes needful.
Let us consider reports from a study carried out in 2018. There, researchers examined the number of times corrections were necessary after surgical droopy eyebrow exercises. The study involved 1,519 patients. 8.7 percent of these cases needed revisions after their surgery.
Furthermore, dealing with drooping eyelid caused by Botox injections can involve:
- Muscle stimulation using the rear end of an electric toothbrush
- Using eye drops
- Simply allowing time to heal it. This is as such a case of droopy eyelids fixes itself in less than a month.
Conclusion
Droopy eyelid most times does not have a huge effect on the patient’s health. In fact, you might not even notice it in most cases. So, largely, it does not have a telling impact on your day-to-day life.
However, the case might be different sometimes. These times, it may affect vision or have a more obvious influence on appearance. Then, the droopy eyebrow exercises (both surgical and non-surgical) explained above will help.
Except when caused by a Botox injection, a total cure is not possible. Yet, with adequate treatments, managing the condition can be effortless.
If you live in Toronto and want to get your droopy eyebrow treated, we recommend the following clinics: