Exophthalmos (Bulging Eyes) Treatment in Iran: the fact you need to know

Exophthalmos describes a condition where the eyeball protrudes from the eye socket, making it appear to bulge. It can affect one or both eyes. Depending on how severe it is, exophthalmos can cause eye problems such as corneal dryness and conjunctivitis, which is an inflammation of the membrane lining the eye.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’ disease is the most common cause of exophthalmos .

what is the Causes of exophthalmos?

One of the main causes of exophthalmos in the UK is thyroid eye disease, also known as Graves' ophthalmopathy disease. Graves' ophthalmopathy disease affects around 1 in every 3 people with an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) caused by Graves' disease. It's more common in women and people who smoke. Graves' disease is an autoimmune condition, which is where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In the case of thyroid eye disease, the immune system attacks the muscles and fatty tissues around and behind the eye, making them swollen. Thyroid eye disease can also occasionally affect people with an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) and, in rare cases, people with normal thyroid function .

Other causes:

Exophthalmos can also have other causes, but these are generally less common. Other causes of exophthalmos can include :

• an injury to the eyes
• bleeding behind the eyes
• abnormally shaped blood vessels behind the eyes
• an infection of the tissue in the eye socket
• cancerous tumours, such as those caused by neuroblastoma and some soft tissue sarcomas

Rarely, exophthalmos can also affect newborn babies .

Treating exophthalmos

If exophthalmos is being caused by thyroid eye disease, the following treatments are often helpful :

• medication to correct the level of thyroid hormones in your blood – this won't necessarily improve the problems with your eyes, but may stop them getting worse
• corticosteroid medication(external link opens in a new window / tab) given directly into a vein (intravenously) – this can help reduce the inflammation associated with the condition
• corrective surgery – this may be carried out to improve the appearance of your eyes once the inflammation is under control

Other useful measures include stopping smoking, using artificial tears to reduce eye dryness and irritation, and wearing special lenses to correct double vision.In other cases, treatment will vary depending on the underlying cause. For example, treatments such as radiotherapy(external link opens in a new window / tab), chemotherapy(external link opens in a new window / tab) and/or surgery may be recommended if exophthalmos is caused by a tumour .

Complications of exophthalmos

Depending on what's causing your bulging eyes, you may also have other associated symptoms. For example, if exophthalmos is caused by a thyroid eye disease, your eyes may also be :

• inflamed, red and painful
• dry and "gritty"
• tearful
• sensitive to light (photophobia)

You may also experience some double vision.

In severe cases of exophthalmos, you may not be able to close your eyes properly. This can damage your corneas (the transparent tissue that covers the front of your eye) by causing them to dry out.

If your corneas become very dry, an infection or ulcers (open sores) may develop. These could damage your vision if left untreated .