Ptosis may be congenital or acquired. Congenital ptosis is usually present at birth while acquired ptosis develops later in life and may be due to aging, injury, following cataract surgery, Botox injection, contact lens use, eye tumour, neurological disorder or systemic disease like diabetes.
The most common cause of ptosis is injury or stretching and deshisence of the eyelid muscle that would normally lift the eyelid, called the levator aponeurosis muscle.
Ptosis can be a warning sign that a more serious condition is affecting the muscle, nerve, brain or eye socket. Ptosis that develops over a period of days or hours is more likely to signify a serious medical problem.
For childhood ptosis, it is important to assess the child vision and refraction (as childhood ptosis is often associated with astigmatism). Baby born with moderate or severe ptosis require surgical treatment in order for proper vision to develop. Failure to treat ptosis can result in amblyopia (lazy eye) and a lifetime of poor vision.