What is ectropion?

When you have ectropion, you may have a hard time closing your eye fully. You may feel eye pain. You may also feel like there is something in your eye. Your eye may feel dry. Or you may have watery eyes or tears that may run down your face.

Artificial tears can help relieve your symptoms and keep the surface of the eye moist. If your condition is painful or if it causes other eye problems, your doctor may talk to you about surgery. There are several surgeries that may help give you relief.

Your doctor can usually diagnose ectropion by examining your eyelid and your eye. Your doctor will check the health of the surface of the eye (cornea) and the lining of the eyelids.

Artificial tears can help relieve your symptoms and keep the surfaces of the eyes moist. You can buy artificial tears without a prescription. Try not to wipe your eyes a lot. If you need to wipe your eyes, gently wipe upwards and inwards (towards your nose).

Ectropion is an eye problem in which the eyelids and eye lashes turn outward. The bottom eyelid may droop down so you can't close your eye completely. When this happens, your eyelid may not be able to protect your eye from infections and scrapes. It can also prevent your tears from draining properly.