What is Ptosis, and How is it Treated?
This condition is one that many parents have not heard of. It actually is a condition when the eyelid droops. What occurs is that the upper eyelid falls a little lower than what is considered to be normal. In some cases especially those involving young children it can cause vision problems which can then lead to another condition called amblyopia. This can happen to one eye or in some cases it happens to both. If you begin to notice that your children or even yourself begin to show sudden symptoms of Ptosis then you should immediately get to your doctor, since this can mean a more serious problem.
Most of these cases occur with infants and young children. Some babies have been born with this condition, or they develop it after a few days. Your pediatrician should be able to spot this right away. If it happens to be a severe condition where your child’s vision is blocked then it may be necessary for surgery to be performed. If surgery is not done then it is possible for your child to lose their vision. The severity of the condition will help the pediatric doctor to decide when surgery should be preformed.
If you discover that your child has this condition or if you think they may have it then you should visit your pediatrician for a thorough examination. If your child did not have this problem when they were born your doctor may ask to see some of their pictures that were taken over the past year, in order to determine when the problem first occurred. They will also need to know if any one else in your family has suffered from this disorder. It is possible that if your child suddenly begins to show signs of a droopy eyelid that it could just be an allergic reaction. Many pediatricians agree that in some cases allergic reactions have been known to be the cause and in this cause surgery may not be needed to correct the problem. But you should still never just assume that this is the cause, always make sure that you consult your pediatrician, or family doctor.
The first thing that your pediatrician will do when you bring your baby in for an examination is to test them to see if they can follow objects individually with each eye. In addition to this the doctor will perform numerous other tests in order to determine how severe the condition is. But what causes this condition in the first place? Well in most cases it is caused by defect in the structure of the muscle. Usually there is some other condition that will then cause ptosis to occur. Your family doctor or pediatrician should be able to tell you the exact cause or what they think the cause is after they have finished all of the necessary testing.
