Heavy Eyelids (Ptosis): Causes Treatment, and Remedies

If you constantly feel like your eyelids are closing on you, sagging, or disrupting your field of vision, it could be because you have heavy eyelids.

Heavy eyelids can be caused by several medical conditions, illnesses, or even genetics. In this article, we’ll discuss what causes heavy eyelids, what complications can occur when you have them, and what treatment options are available to you.

We’ll also talk about how to get the best eyewear to see clearly if your eyelid sagging is interfering with your vision.

What Are Heavy Eyelids?

There are many medical terms for heavy eyelids, including ptosis or blepharoptosis. While these types of eyelid sagging are slightly different, they both result in eyelids that feel heavy, look droopy, and sometimes make it difficult to see clearly.

If you don’t know whether or not you have heavy eyelids, you probably don’t have them. Heavy upper eyelids can feel uncomfortable, weighty, and weak. People with heavy eyelids may have hooded eyes, an eye shape that makes it harder to see the full upper eyelid due to excess skin under the browbone.

A person with heavy eyelids may need to “lift” the brow to apply makeup or feel that they cannot fully open their eyes. Most of the time, heavy eyelids are not an issue of eye care but rather an issue of cosmetic appearance.

What Are the Causes of Heavy Eyelids?

Numerous factors can cause heavy eyelids, including underlying medical issues, the aging process, or simple genetics.

Let’s review:

Aging Process

As we age, our skin naturally loses collagen and elastin. These proteins give our eyelid skin the ability to remain taut and plump. Over time, fewer of these proteins lead to a natural decline in skin elasticity, which can lead to dermatochalasis or excess eyelid skin.

While plastic surgery is often a go-to solution for correcting this issue, it involves invasive procedures and anesthesia, which may not be a viable solution for everyone.

Weak Muscles

True ptosis can be caused by weak muscles that control the movement of your upper eyelids. This muscle, called the levator muscle, may weaken over time or due to trauma.

Unfortunately, there’s no real way to “work” this muscle to tighten it, and this condition's symptoms typically worsen over time.

Genetics

If one or both of your parents have hooded or sagging eyelids, chances are you already have them or might develop them. There's good news if you’re genetically predisposed to hooded eyes, as they’re often considered seductive among makeup artists.

Dry Eyes

Seasonal allergies can trigger eye irritation and heaviness in both the upper and lower eyelids. Your eyes may feel swollen, itchy, watery, or puffy, causing discomfort that can feel like the lids are heavier than they really are.

Stye

A stye is a bacterial infection of the oil glands near the eyelashes. If you develop a stye on your upper eyelid, the weight of the tiny bump could make your eyelid feel heavy and may even interfere with your vision.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis causes swollen, itchy eyelids. It's not usually serious and can often be treated by washing your eyelids every day. However, it can lead to infections of the upper or lower eyelid and cause swelling, discharge, and itching. When the upper eyelids become swollen due to infection, they naturally feel heavier against your eyes.

Blepharospasm

Blepharospasm is a medical condition that causes a person’s eyelids to blink or twitch uncontrollably. A symptom of this condition is drooping eyelids. It usually runs in families, and women between the ages of 40 and 60 are most likely to develop it.

Other Medical Conditions

Sometimes, the cause of heavy eyelids is an underlying medical condition. If you’ve had a stroke or suffered a tumor, your facial and eyelid muscles have likely been affected. Diseases like Horner syndrome and myasthenia gravis can also affect your eye muscles, leaving eyelids that droop and feel heavy.

Heavy eyelids usually don’t interfere with a person’s quality of life. However, it’s sometimes necessary to correct the heavy eyelids to preserve a person’s eye health.

What Are the Complications of Drooping Eyelids?

The primary concern with drooping eyelids is the development of vision problems. An ophthalmologist can diagnose ptosis and determine if the condition interferes with your ability to see clearly.

During an eye exam, the doctor will test your peripheral vision and determine if you are an ideal candidate for certain surgical procedures, such as eyelid lifts or surgeries to tighten the muscles that control your eyelid.

What Are the Treatment Options for Heavy Eyelids?

There are several ways to treat heavy eyelids. That said, the first step in seeking treatment is to understand the root cause of your eyelid issue.

Surgical Options

If eyelid skin is interfering with your vision, or if you’d just like to feel a little less weight on your lids, cosmetic procedures like blepharoplasty and other eyelid surgeries can help remove excess skin and tighten the upper and lower eyelid areas.

If the root cause of your heavy eyelids is weak muscles, a surgical procedure can be performed to tighten the levator muscle and potentially alleviate the heaviness you feel. If a non-surgical treatment sounds more appealing, there are plenty of options that don’t involve a trip to the plastic surgeon’s office.

Injections

Injectable fillers and freezers, including Botox, can be a solution for lifting and sculpting the eyelid area.

However, if injectables are not placed properly, you could end up with more pronounced eyelid drooping or an even heavier feel across your brow. Make sure a trusted and reputable healthcare professional places your injections for you.

Medications

If you’re suffering from an eye infection, allergies, or eyelid irritation, medications (like eye drops) can be a solution. Your eye doctor can diagnose your condition and give you the proper medication to clear the infection and provide the relief you need.

If you have heavy eyelids, you may also need to adjust your eyewear. Luckily, Pair makes it easy (and fun!) to add new eyewear pieces to your wardrobe.

How To Find Great Glasses for Heavy Eyelids

Sometimes, your eyewear game has to change to accommodate a minor eye infection or the occasional heavy eyelid issue. If you regularly wear contact lenses, you’ll want a pair of great-fitting glasses to use in times of need.

Pair makes selecting the most flattering frames a fun and easy experience:

Step 1

First, select your favorite frame shape. Heavy eyelids may make your eyes appear smaller, so look for larger frames that cover your entire eye area. Play around with our virtual try-on tool to find a look you love. Once you have, you’ve officially selected your first pair of Base Frames.

Step 2

Next, let’s talk lenses. If you need vision correction, upload your prescription! We’ll make sure you get a pair of custom eyeglasses that make you look great and help you see better. We also offer specialized lens features like progressives and sunglasses.

Step 3

Here’s where you’ll add cool features like blue light-blocking technology, UV protection, or light-responsive lenses. Consider when you’ll wear these glasses and what features would make your life easier.

Step 4

Keep shopping! At Pair, your Base Frames are your golden ticket to countless Top Frame options. Top Frames snap onto your Base Frames to change your look from hour to hour or day to day. Whenever you want new glasses, you’ve got a Top Frame for that.

Once you make your Top Frame choices, you’re done! Sit back, relax, and wait for your new glasses to arrive. If you normally wear contacts, you may even find that your new “Pair” of frames suits you better.

See Clearly With Pair

Your heavy eyelids may be problematic if they interfere with your ability to see clearly, but if not, you don’t necessarily need to have them corrected.

Instead, consider playing up your unique eyes with complementary eyeglasses from Pair. Our straightforward process makes it easy to get high-quality glasses in frames you love.

Sources:

What causes eyelids to feel so heavy? | American Academy of Ophthalmology

Hooded eyelid | NCBI Bookshelf

Upper eyelid morphology and age-related changes in Japanese and Chinese females | PubMed.

Ptosis (Droopy Eyelid): Causes & Treatment | My Cleveland Clinic