Inside-out eyelids and sleep apnea, investigating the link

The title and description might make your stomach churn. Floppy eyelid syndrome causes your upper eyelids to become rubbery and turn inside-out spontaneously while you sleep.

This strange sounding sleep disorder is often an indicator of sleep apnea.

In a study published in the April issue of Ophthalmology, researchers wanted to see how often patients with floppy eyelid syndrome had sleep apnea.

They compared 102 patients with floppy eyelid syndrome with a same-sized group of people without the disorder.

Researchers measured each subject for sleep apnea using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. They also counted anyone who was already receiving treatments for sleep apnea, such as CPAP or oral appliance therapy.

About a third of floppy eyelid syndrome patients had sleep apnea.

Click here to view more stories about sleep apnea or visit Sleepeducation.com to learn more about the disorder.

Image Courtesy Xava Du