Do your eyelids make it hard to see?

When our patients over 50 come to us complaining of headaches from doing many of their normal activities, such as reading and watching TV or working on their computers, we will perform vision tests, including one that measures their peripheral vision. That’s because as we age, our eyelid skin can become saggy to the point where it interferes with our vision, notably our peripheral vision. We might be bumping into things, as well as straining all day in our efforts to see. But there’s a fairly simple surgery that can make all the difference, putting an end to constant eyestrain headaches and returning your vision to its normal state.

Functional blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty, or an eyelift, gets rid of saggy skin round the eyes. A functional blepharoplasty, as opposed to a cosmetic blepharoplasty, is eyelid surgery performed for medical reasons. And it could be medically necessary for you if you have:

• Sagging eyelids
• Headaches from straining your eyebrows
• Injuries from running into things you don’t see
• Difficulty reading
• Difficulty wearing your glasses or contact lenses

Functional eyelift surgery removes loose skin from your upper eyelid that droops low enough to impair your vision — for driving and other important visual tasks. Other problems that may benefit from a functional eyelid procedure:

• Forehead pain and headache from overusing the muscles that have to strain to lift

sagging eyelid skin out of your line of sight

• Irritation from the excess folds of your eyelid skin rubbing together

Ptosis can happen at any age

Ptosis is a term for drooping of the upper eyelid, a condition that may affect one or both eyes and can be present from birth. If the edge of your eyelid falls too low and covers part of your pupil, it can block the upper part of your vision. Eyelid surgery can correct drooping upper eyelids, whether from aging or from a lifelong problem.

Schedule an appointment today, and we can evaluate you for any eyelid-related medical problems. If you don’t have a medical need for blepharoplasty, you can discuss cosmetic eyelid surgery.

Call (352)237-8400 or toll-free (800)521-6028.