Birmingham Ophthalmologist Marc Michelson, M.D. commented on bulging eye problems.
“Bulging eyes is the familiar description of the eye conditions known as exophthalmos or proptosis. Besides possibly being a bit odd looking, bulging eye conditions can also cause a number of problems, such as not being able to completely close your eyes during sleep or even during normal blinking, which can lead to dry eye symptoms, discomfort and ultimately damage the eye’s surface, resulting in scarring. Sometimes eye bulging can restrict or interfere with normal eye movements. We need to be able to properly diagnose the difference between eyes that are simply “prominent” as compared to eyes that actually “bulging.” In instances of true bulging eyes, we need to carefully determine the cause so that we can offer an appropriate treatment as necessary,” stressed Dr. Michelson.
Causes of bulging eyes can include:
- Graves Disease, that results in hyperthyroidism and too much thyroid hormone;
- Inflammation of the tissue around the eye and inside the bony orbit of the eye called Cellulitis;
- Certain tumors behind, inside or around the eye;
- Hemorrhages behind the eye and injury to the eye.
If you or someone you know suffers from bulging eyes please feel free to schedule an examination at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center at 205-930-0930.
