Bulging eyes(proptosis) could indicate thyroid issues, infection, or other conditions.In thyroid diseases, the immune system attacks the tissues around the eyes, causing the eye tissues and muscles to swell and push the eyeball forward.
The protrusion makes blinking difficult, leading to lack of lubrication of thecornea(outer protective layer of the eye). This puts the cornea at risk of severe damage that may result in poor vision.
What causes bulging eyes?
Causes of bulging eyes may include:
- Hyperthyroidism:Overactive thyroid gland
- Thyroid eye disease or Grave’s disease:Autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack the thyroid gland, leading to inflammation behind the eyes
- Eye injury:Traumato the eye can lead to swelling and bleeding, especially behind the eye.
- Eye infections:May include orbitalcellulitis, which is a unilateral serious infection of the eye involving the muscles and fat within the orbit
- Glaucoma:Eye disorder characterized by increased pressure in the eyes due to fluid accumulation and damage to theoptic nerve.
- Benign ormalignanttumors:
- Neuroblastoma(nerve cellcancer)
- Rhabdomyosarcoma (soft tissuecancer)
- Hemangioma(abnormal growth of blood vessels)
- Non-Hodgkin’slymphoma(cancerof the lymphatic system)
- Leukemia(blood and bone marrow cancer)
- Orbital pseudotumor:Benign, noninfective inflammatory condition of the orbit
- Sarcoidosis:Inflammatoryconnective tissue disease
- Histiocytosis:Group of disorders characterized by abnormally high immune cells called histiocytes
Bulging eyes, especially in children, could be a sign of a serious problem and needs immediate medical attention.
What are signs and symptoms of bulging eyes?
Bulging eyes are characterized by:
- More visibility of the sclera (white part of the eye) between theiris(colored part of the eye) and the uppereyelid
- Protrusion of the eyeballs from the sockets
Symptoms that require immediate medical evaluation include:
- Sudden and unexpected bulge
- Throbbing sensation in the eyes
- Severepainand redness in the eyes
- Trouble moving the eyes
- Inability to close the eyes
- Blurred ordouble vision
- Loss of vision
- Fever
Other warning symptoms may include:
- Eye dryness, redness, or swelling
- Pressure andpainin the eyes
- Gritty sensation with eye movement
- Eyelid puffiness
- Watery eyes
- Blinking less often
- Staring appearance
- Light sensitivity (photophobia)
- Seeing halos around lights
- Headache
How is proptosis diagnosed?
如果您开发淡褐色的眼睛,请咨询你的医生s soon as possible. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and take your medical history to evaluate the potential cause.
- Medical history:To assess your eye symptoms, such as when and how the bulging started, and whether you are experiencing pain,itchingor vision-related problems; also to assess you forhyperthyroidism, such as inability to tolerate heat, increasedsweating, involuntary shaking,anxiety,increased appetite,diarrhea,palpitations, andweight loss.
- Eye examination:To examine your eyes under high magnification and determine the impact of the bulging on your vision.
- Blood test:To evaluate the thyroid levels, autoantibodies, and other relevant parameters.
- Exophthalmometry:To measure the degree of bulging.
- Computed tomography ormagnetic resonance imagingscan:To check for tumors andinternal bleeding.
SLIDESHOW
Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) Symptoms, Causes, TreatmentsSee SlideshowHow are bulging eyes treated?
Treatment usually depends on the cause and severity of the condition and may include:
- Artificial tears, which includes lubricating drops and gels to relieve dryness and prevent corneal damage
- Antibiotics for infection
- Medications for hyperthyroidism (beta-blockersor antithyroid medications)
- Corticosteroids, such asprednisone, which may help control swelling caused by Grave’s disease or orbital pseudotumors
- Immunosuppressivedrugsto reduce the negative immune response
- Surgical removal of tumors
- Chemotherapy or radiotherapy to treat malignant tumors
What are the complications of bulging eyes?
Potential complications of untreated bulging eyes include:
- Permanentdouble vision
- Permanentvision loss
- Corneal damage
- Decreased quality of life
Can bulging eyes be prevented?
Bulging eyes due to hyperthyroidism may be prevented to some extent. Preventive steps that can be taken include:
- Checking thyroid levels as advised by your doctor
- Taking prescribed thyroid medications regularly
- Quittingsmoking, which can reduce the effectiveness of antithyroid medications and has a significant impact on immune response
Early and property treatment can help you avoid complications. However, bulging eyes may take a while to resolve and in many cases it takes years to return to normal.
Medically Reviewed on2/8/2022
References
Image Source: iStock Images
Blair W. Causes of bulging eyes. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/bulging-eyes-exophthalmos-causes
Cleveland Clinic. Bulging eyes. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21537-bulging-eye
Blair W. Causes of bulging eyes. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/bulging-eyes-exophthalmos-causes
Cleveland Clinic. Bulging eyes. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21537-bulging-eye
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