What is "Floppy Eyelid Syndrome?"

Floppy eyelid syndrome (FES) has been found to be strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea in a recent study. While relatively uncommon, FES is typically seen in overweight, middle-aged males. It is characterized by rubbery-textured upper eyelids that might easily flip up during sleep. One-third of the FES patients in the study also had obstructive sleep disorder (OSA). Researchers noted a substantial association between the two disorders and they did not find a patient cluster based on age, gender or Body Mass Index (BMI). Several reasons for the association between the two disorders were offered. People suffering with OSA may have impaired central nervous system arousal and thus not wake up as people usually do when breathing slows or stops or when eyelids experience major stress. Many OSA sufferers sleep on one side which could lead to the repeated pressure on the eyelid of that side of the face. These findings indicate that doctors should look for the other condition when one of these conditions is diagnosed in a patient.* Andrea Schumann* Staff Writer