- Video
- The Many Causes of Droopy Eyelids
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Female: What causes ptosis?Dr. Prasad: Eyelid ptosis is defined as either congenital, which means you are born with it or acquired, which means you developed it later in life. Congenital ptosis is the result of a variation and the development of the muscle that lifts the eyelid called levator muscle. The term levator is like the word 'elevator' without the letter 'e.' Congenital ptosis is associated with different levels of severity and muscle function. Acquired ptosis can be caused by physical volume or tissue over the eyelid and is referred to as mechanical ptosis. A more common cause for ptosis is muscular or aponeurotic ptosis, which is essentially a stretching and thinning of a part of the levator muscle. Sometimes ptosis occurs after someone undergoes an eye procedure such as cataract surgery, LASIK or laser vision correction. Ptosis can also be caused by neurologic conditions such as Horner's syndrome and third nerve palsy.
The Many Causes of Droopy Eyelids
Dr. Amiya Prasad details the causes of eyelid ptosis, or the drooping of the eyelid, noting that acquired ptosis is developed later on in life, while congenital ptosis refers to eyelid ptosis that one is born with.