Entropion: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Entropion is a typical eye condition where your eyelid goes back inward in your eye socket such that your eyelashes and the skin rub on the eye surface. When this occurs it often causes irritation and discomfort to you. In this condition you may also experience that your eyelid may bulge inward when you are prompted to blink hard or shut your eyelids. This type of condition is commonly found in aged people because it usually affects the lower eyelid in most cases. If you are suffering from entropion you mostly have watery and red eyes which can be cured mostly by surgery. If you leave the condition of entropion untreated or unrecognized then it often leads to cover the entire front part of your eye (cornea), it might also cause eye infection and vision impairment. Entropion is mostly caused by aging which creates a loose skin which prevents the proper functioning of the muscles in your eye socket. Entropion may also be caused by some past scars or injuries such as chemical burns, distorted surgery etc. Another common cause of entropion is inflammation of the eyeballs which causes the eyelids to roll on the edge of the eyelid inward towards the cornea (this process is also known as spastic entropion).

The treatment procedure depends on the cause of the entropion. Common course of treatment for entropion is surgery but there are several nonsurgical treatments available for you to get rid of the problems. Surgery of the corner helps your eye to properly lubricate you again and eliminates most of the problems that you face. Surgery helps to remove a tiny portion of your lower eyelid which will help you to tighten the infected tendons and muscles of the eye socket. If you have faced any past injuries that caused the entropion, then the surgeon would use an artificial mucous by grafting it on the cornea for better lubrication of your eyelid. Other treatment procedures are application of soft contact lenses (a corneal bandage for your eye to eliminate the entropion symptoms), stitches that help your eyelid to protrude outward so that it does not bulge inward again and again when you blink your eye hard or close your eyelid. Another common treatment solution is the application of botulinum toxin which are injected in your lower eyelid which helps the faulty eyelid to bulge out again. Skin tapes are also a common way to cure entropion. In this process, certain medicinal tapes are applied on your eyelid to prevent it from bulging inward.

You may seek medical help regarding entropion if you experience the symptoms. The common symptoms are rapid redness in your eyes, a sense of pain and irritation in your eyeballs. Other symptoms are watery eyes and vision impairment. In the case of entropion you might also face a certain amount of sensitivity to bright lightings. You are required to seek help from your medical experts if you face these problems.

Sometimes surgical treatment is not possible for certain individuals because they have already been through a lot of surgeries or they have experienced an injury which are now very sensitive for surgical therapies. One who has experienced severe chemical burns in the eyelid they are advised to not obtain surgery as it might sometimes cause vision impairment. If you have experienced such scars then you should use artificial drops, skin tapes etc.

Entropion goes a long way to completely eliminate the symptoms and problems. Entropion can be effectively cured to a certain level with proper medications and surgery, however there are certain side effects and risk factors. With gradual aging there is a chance that the symptoms might start coming back again because of the low immune system of the body. If you also face trachoma infection, you are likely to develop entropion as trachoma infection scars the inner eyelids.

If you have a surgery to cure entropion then there are certain guidelines that you should follow. After the surgery you should not take a bath for a day but from the second day you can. You may wash your face but keep in mind that you should keep your eyes absolutely closed while doing so for a week. Always be cautioned so that foreign dirty particles do not enter your eyes at any time as it might lead to infections. You are also required to consume foods which are rich in vitamin a and you should also apply the drops or ointments as prescribed by your medical expert.

The recovery time for entropion takes time depending on the condition of inflammation of your eyelids. For normal cases the recovery time usually takes about two weeks and if you are aged and also face excessive swelling, then the time to heal usually takes up to three weeks. The recovery time also depends on how you take care of yourself after surgeries or any kind of procedure. To summarize it all, you should be fully recovered within a month.

The cost of treatment again depends from the course of treatment that you need which also depends on the condition of the entropion. Entropion surgery usually ranges from Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 65,000. There are some other additional costs that you need to take care of such as ointments, drops and therapies which range from Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 3,000 monthly.

The results of the treatment of entropion depend on the age factor in an important way. The effectiveness of the treatment depends on past injuries, immune system as well. Those who have not faced any past problems or injuries, and with proper medication of ointments and drops, they will recover within a short period of time and those who are aged and also have had a few surgeries regarding the cornea will need to watch out for the rejuvenating symptoms after a certain period of time.