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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
The symptoms of entropion result from the friction of your eyelashes and outer eyelid against the surface of your eye. You may have signs and symptoms such as:
- The feeling that there's something in your eye
- Redness of the white part of your eye
- Eye irritation or pain
- Sensitivity to light and wind
- Watery eyes (excessive tearing)
- Mucous discharge and eyelid crusting
- Decreased vision
When to seek medical advice
If you feel like you constantly have something in your eye or you notice that some of your eyelashes seem to be turning in toward your eye, make an appointment to see your doctor for an evaluation. If you leave entropion untreated for too long, it can cause permanent damage to your eye. Be sure to use artificial tears and eye-moisturizing ointments to protect your eye before your appointment.
If you know that you have entropion, be alert for symptoms of cornea exposure or ulcers, including rapidly increasing redness, pain, light sensitivity or decreasing vision. If you experience any of these vision-threatening signs and symptoms, seek immediate care in an ophthalmologist's office or an emergency room.
- Pereira MG, et al. Eyelid entropion. Seminars in Ophthalmology. 2010;25:52.
- Entropion. American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. http://www.asoprs.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3651. Accessed Oct. 15, 2012.
- Boboridis KG, et al. Interventions for involutional lower lid entropion. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002221.pub2/abstract. Accessed Oct. 31, 2012.
- Wright HR. Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of trachoma. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 5, 2012.
- Yanoff M, ed., et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Edinburgh, U.K.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/212799885-2/0/1869/0.html. Accessed Oct. 31, 2012.
- Gerstenblith AT, et al., eds. The Wills Eye Manual: Office and Emergency Room Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2012. http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&CSC=Y&NEWS=N&PAGE=booktext&D=books3&AN=01626623/6th_Edition/2&XPATH=/OVIDBOOK%5b1%5d/METADATA%5b1%5d/TBY%5b1%5d/EDITORS%5b1%5d. Accessed Nov. 1, 2012.
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