Bulging eyes (exophthalmos) (2024)

FAQs

Bulging eyes (exophthalmos)? ›

Exophthalmos, also known as proptosis, is a medical term for a bulging or protruding eyeball or eyeballs. It's most often caused by thyroid eye disease. See your GP or an optometrist (optician) if you notice that one or both of your eyes are protruding.

Hyperthyroidism (particularly Graves disease) is the most common medical cause of bulging eyes. With this condition, the eyes do not blink often and seem to have a staring quality. Normally, there should be no visible white between the top of the iris (the colored part of the eye) and the upper eyelid.

What causes Graves' eye disease? Sometimes Graves' disease makes the immune system attack the muscles and other tissues around the eyes. This causes swelling behind the eye sockets, which makes the eyes bulge out. Researchers aren't sure what causes Graves' disease.

Although less variable than eyelid retraction, the protrusion of the eye can return to normal on its own. After being stable for several months or more, it is sometimes desirable to surgically move the eye into a more normal position. This can be accomplished by removing a portion of the bones surrounding the eye.

What causes bulging eyes? The most common cause of bulging eyes is an autoimmune disease in which your body's immune system attacks cells in your thyroid gland and the tissue behind your eye. Proptosis in people with thyroid issues is also called thyroid eye disease (TED).

Exophthalmos, also known as proptosis, is a medical term for a bulging or protruding eyeball or eyeballs. It's most often caused by thyroid eye disease. See your GP or an optometrist (optician) if you notice that one or both of your eyes are protruding.

In a high percentage of cases, exophthalmos is associated with thyroid orbitopathy, an inflammatory disease related to hyperthyroidism. The disease may be very serious, since the orbit is a non-extensible osseous cavity, in which an inflammatory process such as this can compress the optic nerve and cause blindness.

Eyelid surgery: Bulging eyes caused by thyroid eye disease can sometimes keep you from closing your eyelids all the way, leading to dry and irritated eyes or cornea damage. A surgeon can help correct the problem by cutting and repositioning your eyelids to help them close fully.

Cases of Graves' eye disease are often mild and resolve in time. Medication or surgery may be required and can counter the symptoms of active TED. Advances in treatments are available to help you get back to feeling like yourself again.

Can exophthalmos be reversed? ›

In the long-term, symptoms tend to improve, but this can take years. There is a possibility that the eyes may continue to bulge if treatment is not received. Exophthalmos is not a condition, but the sign of a disorder. Commonly, it can signal a problem with the thyroid gland.

Graves' ophthalmopathy signs and symptoms include bulging eyes, redness and retracting eyelids. About 30% of people with Graves' disease show some signs and symptoms of Graves' ophthalmopathy. In Graves' ophthalmopathy, inflammation and other immune system events affect muscles and other tissues around your eyes.

What are the first symptoms? One common characteristic is eyelid retraction. It may happen only on one side and when it does that, people usually think their other eyelid is droopy, but it's not. People with TED may also develop persistently red eyes and puffiness or swelling around the eyes.

“I come from working class.” Graves' disease affects about 1 in 200 people in the U.S., according to the American Thyroid Association (ATA). Others who have struggled with it include rapper Missy Elliott, Olympic athlete Gail Devers, actress Faith Ford and former President George H.W. Bush, who was diagnosed in 1991.

What Is the Life Expectancy for Graves' Disease? Graves' disease itself is rarely life-threatening, but it can lead to serious heart problems, weak bones, breakdown of muscle, eye disease, and skin disease. These complications may decrease normal life expectancy.

In most patients who develop Graves' ophthalmopathy, the eyes bulge forward or the eyelid retracts to some degree. Many patients with mild to moderate Graves' ophthalmopathy will experience spontaneous improvement over the course of two to three years or will adapt to the abnormality.

Hypertensive retinopathy occurs when high blood pressure damages the retina's blood vessels. It can cause vision changes and eye swelling and requires treatment.

Puffy eyes can be caused by dehydration, so make sure you drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated and flush out toxins that can cause puffiness. Certain types of food can also contribute to puffy eyes such as sugary and salty snacks.

This inflammation can push the eyes forward (“staring” or “bulging”) or cause the eyes and eyelids to become red and swollen. In some individuals, the inflammation may involve the eye muscles, causing the eyes to become out of line, leading to double vision.