Eyelid ptosis can also be known as an upper eyelid that droops. If the edge of the lid droops down enough, a person’s eyesight is affected and in some cases can block vision. In some severe cases of ptosis, some may need to tilt their head back some in order to see and they may even need to use a finger to lift the droopy eyelid out of the way.

Causes of Ptosis

Congenital ptosis is seen at birth and is caused from a muscle that is poorly developed. However, it’s more commonly seen in adults where the eyelid muscle thins and causes the drooping eyelid. It happens with age, from some type of trauma, tumors, with those who wear contact lenses and even some neurological problems including myopathy or nerve palsy.

Who is a Good Candidate for Ptosis Repair?

You will be referred to an oculoplastic surgeon who will examine your eye or eyes. They will take a look at both the upper as well as the middle part of your face to see if they notice any asymmetry. They will also take some measurements of the eyelids and photos are taken as well. Your surgeon also examines the surface under the lids as well as the front surface with a microscope. They will then give you your options.

The Ptosis Treatment

For the surgery, you are usually only under local anesthesia and is done in a day. Drops of anesthetic are placed on the eyes and you will also have anesthetic placed in the upper eyelids to help with the numbing. An incision is made where your natural crease is and the muscle that helps to raise the eyelid is shortened to better lift the lid. There will be dissolving sutures placed on the inside of the lid as well as on the skin.

After Surgery

You may be advised to wear an eye patch for at least 24-48 hours after the procedure. You may notice some swelling in the upper eyelid for about a week or so. You should make sure the wound is clean at all times and you should also keep it dry. There should not be any type of discharge coming from the wound and if you do notice some you should notify your surgeon at once. Your doctor will give you detailed directions on how to care for your wound and you may or may not be prescribed with an antibiotic cream or ointment to use on the wound.

Are There Risks With This Procedure?

There are some minimal risks as there are with any procedure. Some of the common risks that are associated with this procedure include:

•Some swelling or possible bruising of the eye area

•Some infection from the wound

•Sometimes the eyelid may be too corrected leading in a high eyelid

•There may be under correction meaning the eyelid is too low and a second surgery may be required

•Some may notice it hard to close their eyelid that may be either permanent or even temporary. In this case lubricant eye drops may be needed.

Benefits of the Surgery

There are benefits to the surgery and can include:

•Symmetry and cosmesis are improved

•Appearance of the eyelid looks normal again

•Visual field is improved as well as the quality of vision from where the eye was covered

Costs

The cost of ptosis surgery can vary depending on many factors. The calibre of your surgeon, the location, the type of surgery required and other factors affect the cost. In some cases, insurance may cover the cost of the procedure if ptosis becomes a problem and affects your vision drastically. The average cost of the procedure can range from $1,500 to $5,000.

Choosing a Ptosis Procedure Surgeon

When it comes to choosing a surgeon, it does not matter what the procedure is, you need to feel comfortable with them. It is ok to ask questions and also asking for photos to see the type of work they deliver. When it comes down to it, it is all about how you personally feel about the surgeon.

Drug abuse is a serious problem in our society that can lead to a lot of major problems not only for our communities but also for our personal lives. There are a lot of options available for those who are interested in getting help with their drug abuse problem.

There is a Lot of Options for Drug Abuse Treatment

There are many different options for drug abuse treatments and a wide variety of outlets that offer treatment programs. These outlets range from religious organizations to organized comprehensive treatment programs provided at first class specialized hospitals. These programs can be as simple as controlled withdrawal and reeducation to ones which include more alternative options.

Many Outlets are Available for Drug Treatment Program

There are a wide variety of outlets which offered drug abuse treatment programs. The most common outlets offering programs are those that are religious or community based. These are often to be found at a local community center or church outreach center. The programs in this category are often offered to the public at little to no charge, they are funded by donations or by corporate gifts. On the other hand there are specialized hospitals that offer treatment programs that are more in-depth and comprehensive. These programs are very expensive and require a great deal of time that needs to be devoted to them. They do have a much greater chance of success than the other programs however.

Identifying the Problem

You need to first identify that there is a problem and how severe that problem is. You need to be on the lookout for some key signs that are indicative of a drug abuse problem. Some of these signs include a change in lifestyle level, a change in personality or a change or interest in things that they have previously enjoyed.

The Right and Wrong Ways to Perform and Intervention

You need to be careful when the time comes to perform an intervention. Failure to perform an intervention the right can lead to a worsening of problems for your loved one and could prevent them from getting the help that they need.

In-Patient vs. Out-Patient

In-Patient programs are more comprehensive and offer a better chance of success. The problem with this is the fact that the patient will need to have an extended period of time that they will be able to walk away from their life. This period can range anywhere from 28-60 days. Out-Patient and transitions programs (which start out as inpatient for a couple of weeks and then move to out-patient) are less effective and take a longer period of time and a greater degree of commitment for those involved. They are however a better choice for many who cannot take the extended period of time away from home or work, or who cannot afford to undergo the expensive in-patient programs.

Post Treatment: Taking the Steps

After your loved one has completed the treatment program they will face whole new set of challenges in their life. The first year will be among the hardest things that they will ever have had to live through. They will find themselves fighting their demon every day and will need the support of those who have been there and understand. Help them to make contact with a support organization such as Narcotic Anonymous and do everything you can to keep them on track with the group. This is the best chance that they have for long term recovery

The Rest of Their Life Drug Free, a Daily Challenge, a Daily Victory

Once they make it through the first year they will start to slowly get back to their live on their own. This does not mean that the battle is over however. The war against their addictions will never be over. They will learn to live life without drug abuse in it, but there will be time, a lot a first less as time goes on, that they will need the support of their friends and family and may need to return to their NA group. You may even find that they have relapsed and need to get a “refresher” period of treatment. This is all normal and is just part of the reality of drug abuse and treatment. The most important factor is that you must remain supportive and positive with them.

When a person is ready to begin the fight, there are options available to them. With he support and love of those who care about them and the resources available through the many treatment and recovery programs out there, a life without drug abuse is possible. Good Luck.

When we smile the years of drinking tea and coffee or even red wine show as our teeth dull and become a yellow colour and here we look the whitening options plus keeping them looking great.

Not only does the day to day toll of just about everything we consume stain our teeth is also a fact that our teeth’s enamel wears as we get older and this then makes the teeth slightly more porous which makes the staining process easier. We cannot avoid so many things that stain our teeth but what we can do is maintain a good dental health and also have a teeth whitening program that is sustainable.

With the teeth always being porous is just inevitable that teeth whitening is not going to change the fundamentals of how our teeth work as the whitening process really just extracts the stains that are in the micro pores of the enamel. And it is for this fact that teeth whitening generally will always work because unless you have had your teeth whitened in last couple of years there will be a decent amount of staining to be extracted.

Once the stains has been removed what you are left with is a natural smile and this for many people is exactly what they require. Sometimes the pure white smiles do not look natural and somehow look manufactured like the whitest veneers. If you have very white coloured dentin then it is possible your teeth will become very white but most us have a slight creamy coloured dentin and then after whitening this is what you are likely to achieve.

The benefits of having a newly brightened white smile are amazing as suddenly you have the confidence to smile again without any limits and this can also help you in so many ways including work life, social life and even improve your love life as having better looking teeth makes you look more attractive.

Now you have whiter teeth you will want to keep them looking fine and this requires some ongoing discipline as the staining components we consume every day are trying to re-stain the teeth and we therefore we face an ongoing battle.

Seeing your dentist regularly and having six monthly appointments with the hygienist will be a big help to keep the teeth looking and feeling healthy. Daily brushing with a good quality whitening toothpaste will also be a big help.

No matter what method of whitening you selected in the first place to whiten the teeth you will need to think about using a product or service in the longer term for keeping the results otherwise the staining will reappear and the teeth will go back to their original colouration. This does not have to be expensive or time consuming but maybe using a home kit product like the strips or trays once every few weeks will ensure the teeth stay bright. This way you can maintain the balance and keep you hard earned new smile.