Swollen and droopy eyes, causes and treatment of conjunctival flaccidityOphthalmologist Samyoung Yoon

Swollen and droopy eyes, causes and treatment of conjunctival flaccidityOphthalmologist Samyoung Yoon

Dec 14, 2024Ehotyshamull Joy

 

 

Have you ever had a blurry look in your eyes and a foreign body sensation, so you checked in the mirror and saw that there was a transparent film in your eyes? The cause may be conjunctival laxity. Conjunctival laxity is a condition in which the conjunctiva is filled with water, causing swelling or stretching of the conjunctiva.

 

1. Symptoms of conjunctival flaccidity
What are the symptoms of conjunctival flaccidity?

When conjunctival laxity occurs, the conjunctiva wrinkles, causing the following symptoms:

1. Hyperemia

When the conjunctiva is tight, there is less friction when blinking, but when the conjunctiva is loosened, there is more friction, resulting in redness of the eyes.

2. Swelling and yellowish discoloration

When the conjunctiva is swollen and filled with water, it protrudes unevenly, and if cold water persists in the conjunctiva for a long time, it becomes yellowish.

3. Foreign body sensation

I feel a tingling sensation in my eyes. A large proportion of dry eye is associated with conjunctival flaccidity. There are three causes of dry eyes. The first is a lack of tear moisture, the second is excessive tear evaporation, and the third is conjunctival degeneration such as conjunctival flaccidity, censored plaque*, pterygium*, etc., and the surface of the eye is not smooth. Conjunctival flaccidity is the third cause.

 

4. Eyeballs

You may feel pinched or pinched even if you don't.

 

5. Tears

Tears may pool in your eyes, or you may feel like you are pooling even if you don't. This is because the conjunctiva, which stretches the furrow or punctual spot* between the eyelid and the eye, blocks it, causing tears to overflow.

 

2. Causes of conjunctival flaccidity
What causes conjunctival flaccidity?
1. Aging

Under the influence of gravity, the conjunctiva is stretched.

2. Allergic conjunctivitis

The allergy itself can cause conjunctival laxity, and the conjunctiva can become stretched as you rub your eyes when they itch.

3. Contact Lenses

The lens rubs against the conjunctiva, which can lead to conjunctival flaccidity.

4. Surgery around the eyelids

Conjunctival flaccidity may occur due to surgery around the eyelids, such as double eyelid surgery, anterior and posterior openings.

5. Ophthalmic surgery

When cataract surgery or vision correction surgery is performed, the device that suction the conjunctiva sucks in with strong pressure to prevent tears from pooling, which can lead to conjunctival laxity.

 

3. Treatment of conjunctival flaccidity
How is conjunctival flaccidity treated?

As a simple treatment, you can try lubricants such as artificial leakage and dry eye treatments.

 

If the conjunctival laxity is more or less advanced, conjunctival plasty should be performed. Radiofrequency therapy to shrink the enlarged conjunctiva or conjunctival resection to remove and suture the enlarged conjunctiva are the types of conjunctival plasty.

 

4. Conjunctival flaccidity Q&A
Conjunctival flaccidity, I'm curious!
Q. My eyes are often red, and I often have sticky eyes after waking up, is it conjunctival laxity?

Bacterial, fungal and allergic diseases can all cause redness and eye irritation. Conjunctival flaccidity is a condition in which the conjunctiva is stretched for no apparent reason, even if these conditions are ruled out.

Q. When you scratch your eyes because they itch, you feel a foreign body in your eye. When I look in the mirror, the whites of my eyes swell up as if they have a membrane on them, is this a symptom that I should be worried about?

Itchy eyes and swelling of the conjunctiva when scratched are typical allergy symptoms. This can be treated with antihistamines, steroids, or eye drops. If you develop allergy symptoms, you should avoid scratching them, and applying cold compresses with ice can help you get better. It is good to remember that in case of dryness, you should apply a warm compress, and in case of allergies, you should apply a cold compress.

Q. When I went to the ophthalmologist for a squeeze, the doctor squeezed my eyes and yellow pus came out, and I felt that my eyes were much lighter. Is this conjunctival flaccidity? If not, what is?

 

If it is not a stye surgery that requires excision with a knife, but a simple squeezing of inflammation, it may be the case that the meibomian glands*, which are located about 30 in the upper part of the eye and 25 in the lower part of the eye, are blocked, producing bad oil and increasing the osmotic pressure inside the eye, resulting in dryness. In this case, the eye may feel heavy, but it seems that the blockage has been removed and improved.

*Meibomian glands: The sebaceous glands located in the eyelids that secrete sebum palpebrale

Q. Won't conjunctivoplasty worsen dryness or inflammation?

 

If radiofrequency therapy or resection is performed, the inflammation may be temporarily intensified at first. Conjunctival plasty should not be performed unconditionally if there is conjunctival laxity, but in very severe cases, it should be performed based on the severity of the effects and side effects.

 



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