Conjunctivochalasis is extra skin on your conjunctiva, which is the white part of your eye. This can happen in one or both eyes. Conjunctivochalasis is caused by several factors, including aging, obesity, or genetics. The condition makes one feel a sensation of something stuck in your eye or like there is sand in it. You may also feel an eyelash scratching your eye. The feeling can be more intense at certain times of day and less intense at others.
Let’s look at the symptoms and effects of conjunctiovochalasis and how it can be treated.
What are the Symptoms of Conjunctivochalasis?
The severity of the symptoms varies according to the patient and how long they have had Chalasis. Some people will not suffer any effects from Chalasis. However, other patients will experience significant discomfort. Additionally, some patients will experience symptoms only when their eyes are exposed to heat or cold, while others may feel symptoms throughout the day.
Symptoms of this condition include dry eyes, gritty, scratchy, burning, or foreign body sensation. Simply put, Conjunctivochalasis causes the eyelids and surrounding tissues to become thickened, which can lead to dry eyes. The condition may cause discomfort and foreign body sensation, and blurred vision. Symptoms may worsen throughout the day, especially with exposure to wind or air-conditioning.
Other factors that can contribute to discomfort include:
- Reading
- Working on a computer
- Driving
If you’re experiencing eye dryness, it’s important to remember that this will not cause any permanent damage to your eyes. Eye pain and symptoms may be relieved by closing the eyes or by applying light pressure over the lid margins with your fingers.
Vision may become blurred. This is caused by excessive tearing or a feeling of something foreign in your eye. Other possible symptoms include:
- Pain or irritation in the eye
- Reduced light sensitivity
- A foreign body sensation
- This can often be improved with careful removal of excessive loose conjunctiva
The treatment for this condition is known as conjunctival recessions. This is a simple procedure performed in the doctor’s office, usually covered by insurance, and has been shown to provide relief of symptoms for many people who have it. There is no recovery time, and most patients report that the procedure takes less than 30 minutes to complete.
What is the Difference Between Conjunctivochalasis and Eye Dryness?
It’s important to distinguish between dry eye and Conjunctivochalasis. Both conditions can cause the same symptoms, such as redness and irritation. If you have these symptoms, your doctor will likely perform a tear test to determine if your eyes produce enough tears.
If you have dry eyes, it may be caused by aging or environmental factors such as air conditioning or windy weather. However, some medications can also cause dry eye symptoms, especially steroids. This is why it’s important to tell your doctor if they’re giving you any prescriptions that might affect how much moisture gets into your eyeballs.
The good news is that there are treatments available for both conditions. In most cases, they include artificial tears applied directly onto the eye several times per day, and sometimes surgery may be necessary if more serious issues exist, such as adhesions.
Extra Skin on Your Eyelid Can Also be Mistaken for Conjunctivochalasis
If you have extra skin on your eyelid, it can be mistaken for Conjunctivochalasis. That is because Conjunctivochalasis is a medical condition that involves the presence of excess tissue on the white part of your eye. This extra skin isn’t attached to anything and can fold over the cornea and lead to vision loss or irritation. It’s usually caused by aging but can also happen due to an underlying condition such as thyroid disease, diabetes, or Parkinson’s disease.
How is Conjunctivochalasis Diagnosed and Treated?
Your doctor will examine your eyes and tear ducts. They will ask if you have any itching or irritation in or around your eyes, especially when you blink. Also, other causes of eye irritation can be allergies or infections.
If your doctor thinks that chalasis is causing the problem, they may refer to a specialist who treats this condition with injections of botulinum toxin (Botox) into the affected tissues.
Is Surgery Recommended?
The appearance of both the lower and upper eyelids can be corrected by surgery on the upper lids and surgical or non-surgical interventions on the lower eyelids. Surgical techniques for correction of this condition are not generally complicated or risky and lead to significant improvement in affected patients. Note that surgery should also be considered only when other therapies have failed.
You Might Treat Conjunctivochalasis at Home with Artificial Tears
If you have Conjunctivochalasis and are experiencing redness or itching, you may be tempted to use redness-relief drops. However, these products can irritate the area further and complicate symptoms. They may also cause more discharge in some cases.
Artificial tears are safe for use with Conjunctivochalasis, so if you need moisture in your eyes but don’t want to make things worse by using medicated eye drops, artificial tears are a good choice.
Actually, if your eye has extra skin on the white part, it needs attention, but it may not need surgery. If you have Conjunctivochalasis and your doctor recommends that it be surgically removed, don’t panic. The surgery will only take a few minutes and is done under local anesthesia.
If you have dry eye or irritation from contact lenses, these can also be treated with drops to help soothe and moisturize the eyes. Also, if you have itchy eyes and are experiencing redness, an allergic reaction may be contributing to your conjunctivochalasis symptoms. See a doctor if this is the case. They’ll prescribe medications for your symptoms and perform tests if necessary.
Finally, Conjunctivochalasis, generally speaking, refers to a condition where the eyelid is permanently swollen due to the thickening of the connective tissue around the eye. It mainly affects the lower eyelid and, in some cases, can have a variety of outcomes, including blindness. Although this is fairly rare. If you have the symptoms of Conjunctivochalasis, find an eye doctor near you who performs conjunctival recessions
