The alarming inherited muscle disease that causes drooping eyelids and choking — and what a genetic test can reveal
Oct 01, 2026
Dear Doctor Roach: Many of my dad’s side of the family -- from my grandmother to my uncles and aunts, as well as their kids -- have had oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). Most people started having symptoms around age 65, and I’m 64. My dad had a bad heart, got the eyelid surgery for OPM
D, and used a walker since his late 60s. I didn’t get the test yet; however, I do choke often, and my eyelids do droop a little. ...read more read less