What can be done to prevent the condition?

Good control of diabetes and high blood pressure can prevent some cases of a drooping upper eyelid. Lung cancer is a fairly uncommon cause of a drooping eyelid. This disease can usually be prevented by not smoking. Many cases cannot be prevented.

What are the long-term effects of the condition?

Most long-term effects are related to the underlying cause. Some cases of a droopy eyelid have no long-term effects. Other causes may result in death, such as cancer or an abnormally widened artery inside the skull.

In children younger than 8 years old, a sagging upper lid can be serious no matter what the cause. The child may not develop proper vision in the eye with the sagging lid. Without treatment, this can result in permanently reduced vision or even blindness. If this occurs, glasses will be unable to correct the problem. Prompt treatment prevents this long-term effect.

What are the risks to others?

There are no risks to others. This is not a contagious condition.