Proptosis is the condition of bulging eyes which is inherited by birth. In some cases it may develop due to thyroid problems. It can be unilateral which is bulging out of one eye and bilateral in which both the eyes are bulging. The intensity of bulging of eyes varies from mild to severe and only an eye doctor can assess the intensity of seriousness. It is believed to be caused by the increased pressure inside the eyes due to underlying disorder. Proptosis is also known as protruding eyes or bulging eyes in common terms.
Symptoms :
White color is visibly seen on the area between the iris and the upper eyelid if a person has bulging eyes. It is a clear indication for protruding eyes. Some of the other signs of proptosis are discomfort in opening and closing the eyes, difficulty in sleeping or blinking, dryness of eyes, discomfort or pain in making eye movements, scarring seen inside the eyes and excess of white part on the eyes.
For some people there will be whitish watery discharge from the eyes along with redness. Depending on the underlying health factor a person may get fever, excess of sweat, irritation and headache.
Causes :
Very often proptosis is genetic and inherited from the parents by birth. But there are some cases where people acquire this condition due to underlying disease like glaucoma or thyroid problem. Many times it becomes difficult to identify the bulging eyes and prominent eyes. You can detect this by looking at photographs taken some years ago and comparing it with recently taken photo.