The downside of this procedure is that the results are not always cosmetically ideal, but it is easily reversible and complications are rare.Īnother surprisingly common surgical solution-one that may strike the reader as somewhat unorthodox-is to implant gold weights in the eyelids (platinum may be used for patients who are allergic to gold). The eyelids can be sewn partially together in order to narrow the opening with a procedure known as tarsorrhaphy. This product is called Tranquileyes, and it prevents the evaporation of tears, maintaining a moist environment for the eyes.įor patients who are unable to completely close their eyes while blinking, however, surgery may be necessary. For nocturnal lagophthalmos, a California company called Eye Eco makes a set of soft, flexible moisture goggles for night–time wear. Once a diagnosis of lagophthalmos has been made, treatment will depend on the severity of your condition and whether it is chronic or nocturnal in nature. The doctor will also ask you to close your eyes while he or she uses a ruler to measure the unclosed space in millimeters. If you make an appointment with an eye doctor to determine whether you suffer from lagophthalmos, your doctor will most likely perform a slit-lamp examination. In order for this condition to be treated, it must first be properly diagnosed. Although to some degree they minimize the exposure of their corneas to drying by rolling their eyes back in their heads, and some of them may even blink as they would while awake, their eyes still suffer ill effects from being open all night. Such people will wake in the morning feeling that they have slept poorly, and may feel eye pain upon waking and for as long as 20 minutes thereafter. This condition is probably underreported due to the fact that many sufferers are unaware of it unless someone has told them that they sleep with their eyes open, and some doctors may not consider lagophthalmos as a possible cause of a patient’s dry eye symptoms. What is Nocturnal Lagophthalmos?Īnother variation of this condition is called Nocturnal Lagophthalmos, a condition that makes otherwise normal people unable to close their eyes while sleeping. As a reaction to the increased dryness, patients suffering from this condition generally experience excessive tear production ( watery eyes), and often feel as though they have a foreign body trapped in their eye. Patients with lagopthalmos will often suffer from dry eye syndrome, and are vulnerable to corneal abrasions. Some doctors believe that the incidence of lagophthalmos is on the rise, possibly due in part to the increasing prevalence of surgeries such as blepharoplasty, which can cause lagophthalmos (or exacerbate an existing case) if performed incorrectly.īlepharoplasty is performed in order to correct the appearance of droopy eyelids, whether for medical or cosmetic reasons, but if too much skin is removed from the eyelid, lagophthalmos can result.
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