BBC News' Clive Myrie in fresh health battle over condition that ...

Clive Myrie sparked health concerns while presenting on Monday night's BBC News at Six after viewers noticed his 'droopy eye'.

Fans flooded social media, asking if everything was okay but the 60-year-old presenter quickly issued a statement saying he was simply suffering from an infection.

In a tweet shared on the platform X, he went on to say he had considered wearing an eye patch for the show, but "the boss said no".

Now, a doctor has shared how Clive's droopy eye may have been caused and what could happen next.

Dr Alasdair Scott, a science director at Selph, said drooping of the eyelid is called “ptosis” and can have a number of causes.

Ptosis, also known as blepharoptosis, is a drooping or falling of the upper eyelid which can be present at birth, due to failures of the development of the muscles that raise the eyelid.

More commonly, the doctor says the condition is something that develops later in life, affecting one in five adults over 70.

"As we age, the skin and muscles around the eyes stretch and weaken causing drooping of the eyelid," he explained.

"Up to one in five adults over the age of 70 have some degree of ptosis. This is by far the commonest cause of ptosis."

It is estimated there are over 9million over-70s in the UK, meaning up to 1.8m people could be suffering from it.

Dr Scott added: "Anything that causes swelling around the eye – such as trauma or infection – can lead to ptosis. Common eye infections include conjunctivitis, a chalazion or stye."

In Clive's case, Dr Scott believes his droopy eye could be a combination of age-related weakness and infection, which is expected to get better as it heals.

Breaking down what else could cause the issue, the doctor said that conditions such as myotonic dystrophy, can be responsible for weakening the eyelid muscles.

Damage to the eyelid's oculomotor nerve may also be a factor, which can occur with trauma or diabetes.

Additionally, the doctor lists damage to the “sympathetic” nerves supplying the eyelid as a potential cause. "This is called Horner’s syndrome and can be caused by injury to the nerves (for example during surgery on the thyroid gland) or by a stroke," he explained.

Myasthenia gravis, an uncommon autoimmune condition that affects nerve conduction, is another common factor associated with ptosis.

The NHS offers advice for anyone concerned about eye issues. It suggests you should contact your GP if:

• your swollen eyelid is red, hot, painful, tender or blistered
• your eyelid droops suddenly
• you cannot open your eye or keep it open
• the pain is in your eye (not your eyelid)
• the white of your eye is very red, in part or all over
• you have eye symptoms and a headache or you feel sick or are being sick
• a newborn baby (less than 1 month old) has a sticky, red eye
• you're sensitive to light (photophobia)
• your eyesight changes – for example, you have blurred vision and see wavy flashing lights, zigzag patterns or coloured spots or lines
• you have a very high temperature, or feel hot and shivery, or you feel generally unwell
• you think it's an allergic reaction