David Attenborough addresses world leaders at G7
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In his latest television series The Mating Game, Attenborough looks at what it takes to keep an entire species alive through spectacular scenes of courting and companionship. However, fans of the legendary conservationist became worried when a video posted by Netflix earlier this year saw Attenborough talking with only one eye open. Should we be worried about the star?
Appearing in the video, which was in aid of promoting his documentary, was not the first time that Attenborough has worried fans.
Talking at the United Nations Security Council via video message the star was also seen struggling with his left eye.One fan said: “Sir David Attenborough doesn’t look well it’s worrying me #climatemeeting.” Whilst in a similar light another added: “David Attenborough speaking at the moment and he really doesn’t look well. Please, lord, wrap him in all the sustainable cotton wool you can find. Nothing wrong with his speaking though.”
Despite concerns for his health, Attenborough spoke eloquently about the dangers of the climate emergency. In fact the legend has stated in the past that the condition of the planet is so bad that he “might not be here to see” humankind save the planet.
Some were concerned that Attenborough had had a stroke and jumped to the conclusion that his eye closure was a result of brain damage from a major health condition, but the man himself has never addressed this publicly and it remains unknown.
- Dry eyes
- Watery eyes
- Pain around the eyes
- Headaches.
As muscles in the eye which are responsible for lifting the lid start to stretch, it can cause the eyelid to fall. This can occur as a natural reaction to ageing but can also be brought on by trauma, high stress and neurological issues.
When a child has a droopy eyelid from birth it is called congenital ptosis and occurs when there is a problem with the levator muscle that raises the upper eyelid.One type of congenital ptosis is Marcus Gunn “jaw winking” syndrome.
This is where the eyelid appears to lift when the child’s jaw moves due to an abnormal connection of the upper eyelid and nerve that helps to move the jaw. It’s often noticed when a baby is chewing or feeding.
On inspection of the eye, an optometrist will decide how severe the condition is and what treatments are best for the individual.
Often, doctors won’t treat children with ptosis. They will check their eyes regularly and probably use drops, patches, or glasses to treat the condition if it gets progressively worse. The doctor will also watch the eye to see if your child needs surgery as they get older.
For adults, treatment usually does mean surgery. Your doctor may remove extra skin and tuck the muscle that lifts the lid, or the doctor may reattach and strengthen that muscle.
Individuals may also be able to wear glasses with a special “crutch” built in. It lifts your eyelids so you can see better. That helps avoid surgery.
Sometimes, ptosis can cure overtime, but this is unlikely if the condition has progressed due to age. No matter what the onset of the condition is, it is important to seek medical attention for any noticeable or sudden symptoms or eyelid problems.
Seeking medical attention is important as researcher Dr Willem van den Bosch said that eyelid droop could be associated with two painful conditions.
Inward rotation of the eyelid, or entropion, leads to the eyelashes rubbing against the surface of the eye, the cornea. This can lead to severe irritation of the eye, and to corneal damage.
Outward rotation of the eyelid, or ectropion, also leads to irritation, both of the eye and the eyelid.As the tear duct is no longer in contact with the surface of the eye, there is also no way for the eye to remove tears easily.
Despite these possible complications, for his age, Attenborough is in fairly good health as far as we know, with his eye not causing any long-term complications or stopping him from carrying out his work.
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