Eyes - bulging

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Graves' disease

Hyperthyroidism

Periorbital cellulitis

Overview

Treatment

Eyes - bulging

Alternative Names:

Protruding eyes; Exophthalmos; Proptosis; Bulging eyes

Home Care:

The underlying cause of this symptom needs to be treated by a health care provider. Because bulging eyes can cause a person to be self-conscious, emotional support is important.

Call your health care provider if:

You have bulging eyes and the cause has not yet been diagnosed.
Bulging eyes are accompanied by other symptoms.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The health care provider will obtain your medical history and will perform a physical examination.

Medical history questions may include the following:

Are both eyes affected?
When did you first notice bulging eyes?
Is it getting worse?
What other symptoms do you have?

A slit-lamp examination may be ordered. Blood testing for thyroid disease may be performed.

Artificial tears may be given to lubricate the eye. Other treatments will depend on the cause.

Review Date: 1/24/2005
Reviewed By: Thomas A. Owens, M.D., Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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