Floppy Eyelid Syndrome

Floppy eyelid syndrome is a condition in which the upper eyelids become unusually soft, rubbery and easily everted, so that they turn inside out during sleep and rub against the pillow or bedding. This produces chronic irritation, redness, discharge and a papillary form of conjunctivitis, usually affecting the eye on the side a person habitually sleeps on. The condition is strongly associated with obesity and with obstructive sleep apnea, and its underlying cause is thought to involve a loss of elastin in the tarsal plate that normally gives the eyelid its firmness. Treatment ranges from taping the eyelid shut at night or using a protective shield to surgical shortening and tightening of the eyelid in more severe or persistent cases.