8 Eye Conditions that Respond Well to Botox

What do you think of when you think of Botox®? Ageless celebrities with high cheekbones, taut jawlines, and virtually no wrinkles? Botox can definitely help you achieve that youthful appearance (when it’s done right, that is), but the injectable is good for so much more than aesthetics. 

Dr. Michael Ragen of Ventura Eye Institute uses Botox to treat patients with many different eye conditions at his ophthalmology clinic in Camarillo, California. If you have one of the eight eye conditions below, you can benefit from Botox, too. 

1. Impeded vision

If you have excess or sagging skin around your eyes that impedes your vision, Botox can lift and tighten the skin to prevent it from falling into your eyesight. While blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, is the optimal route for this condition, Botox can work for patients who have only a small amount of excess skin around the eyes. 

2. Blepharospasm

Blepharospasm is a condition that involves the uncontrollable twitching of the eyelids. These spasms are involuntary and can happen frequently or infrequently, and doctors don’t know the exact cause. Botox temporarily paralyzes the tiny muscles around your eyes, preventing them from twitching. 

3. Eyelid apraxia

Apraxia refers to the inability to voluntarily move a muscle. If you can’t voluntarily move your eyelids — thus, can’t keep them open — Botox can help. When injected into the muscles of your upper eyelid, Botox may make it easier to keep your eyes open. 

4. Facial nerve synkinesis

This condition develops when there’s a disconnect between nerves in your face. Facial nerve synkinesis often occurs after a nerve regeneration procedure, and it can result in drooping eyelids or the inability to open your eyelids. Botox is a highly effective treatment for facial nerve synkinesis.

5. Crossed eyes

Crossed eyes, medically known as strabismus, has long been treated with Botox. In fact, doctors have been using Botox to treat crossed eyes since the 1970s. When Botox is injected into your eye muscles, it weakens them and prevents them from involuntarily crossing. 

6. Hemifacial spasm

A hemifacial spasm occurs when the muscles on one side of your face twitch involuntarily. Botox injections weaken the muscles in the active side of your face, preventing or reducing the frequency and severity of twitches. 

7. Eyelid retraction

Botox has profound effects on upper eyelid retraction, and it’s a great option for patients who aren’t ready for (or can’t have) surgery to treat this condition. The Botox injections relax your eyelids so that they don't retract so far. 

8. Headaches

Finally, Botox can reduce chronic migraines when it’s injected into nerve endings in the muscles in your face. Botox is only recommended for people who experience headaches on 15 days or more each month. 

Want to learn more about Botox and its many benefits for eye conditions? Call our Camarillo, California, office at 805-250-9723, or book your appointment online. You can also send a message to Dr. Ragen, Dr. Kyle Huynh, and the team here on our website.