The thyroid gland of the eye protrudes. Exophthalmos - what is it? Forward displacement of the eyeball (bulging eyes): causes and treatment

When a person's eyes bulge, this is a symptom that occurs due to certain diseases. The eyeballs move to the side or protrude forward. In medicine, this disease is called exophthalmos. A white gap is clearly visible between the upper eyelid and the iris, while the skin color upper eyelid changes and darkens. Exophthalmos is treated by ophthalmologists, neurologists, endocrinologists, traumatologists, otolaryngologists and oncologists. It depends on the disease and on the condition of the person.

bulging eyes

Varieties

Bulging is divided into three types:

Unilateral- only one eyeball protrudes from the orbit. bilateral- Both eyeballs protrude. False bulging- the eyeball protrudes slightly and is considered normal. But such people are at risk and must be observed by a specialist.

Diseases associated with swelling

During pathological processes occurring in the body, cause is exophthalmos. They get rid of bulging eyes only when the disease itself passes. Puffy eyes appear due to three types of disease:

Endocrine system. Goiter thyroid gland, Basedow's disease or thyrotoxicosis. Thyroid produces a lot of hormones the immune system over-produces cells that thicken the eye muscles and cause swelling. Damage to various body systems. Puffy eyes are caused by: thrombosis of cerebral vessels, aneurysms, fractures of the bones of the orbit, brain tumors. Eye diseases. With glaucoma, severe myopia, thrombosis of the orbital vein, benign and malignant tumors of the orbit.

In order to get rid of bulging eyes, you need to consult a doctor with a narrow specialization.

Manifestations and symptoms of bulging eyes

With exophthalmos the person looks unhealthy, as if his eyes bulged, which negatively affects them, and if left untreated, you can completely lose your eyesight.

Watery eyes; Feeling of pressure on the eyes; Surrounding objects begin to double and vision decreases; Strabismus may occur; The mobility of the eyeballs is disturbed; The eyelids fit snugly to the eyeballs; There is swelling of the eyelids, retinas, conjunctiva, sclera swell and turn red; Increased eye pressure, which can lead to atrophy; The eyelids do not close completely, which causes dryness of the sclera, and then keratitis may develop. During the examination, fundus disorders (nerve atrophy, hemorrhage, neuritis) are revealed.

The reasons

Glaucoma. Graves' disease. Hemangioma. benign tumor, appears in the first days or weeks of life. Histiocytosis. Hyperthyroidism and hyperthyroidism that is caused by drugs. Leukemia. Disease of the hematopoietic system. Neuroblastoma. Malignant tumor. Orbital cellulitis. Infectious inflammation of soft tissues, life threatening. Most often occurs in children. periorbital cellulitis. Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a malignant tumor that appears in childhood, is located on any part of the body and organs.

Diagnosis and treatment

If there are signs of bulging eyes, you should seek the advice of an ophthalmologist. He will review and make recommendations. If needed prescribe magnetic resonance or computed tomography. Held laboratory research. Treatment depends on the disease that led to the development of exophthalmos.

With goiter, the function of the thyroid gland is corrected, drugs based on glucocorticosteroids are prescribed. Thyroid hormones able to increase the energy of the body. And when there is an excess of them, the body has to turn them into energy. A person develops excessive sweating and does not tolerate elevated temperature in environment. They are inherent constant feeling hunger and increased appetite they lose a lot of weight. In addition, the heart rate increases, pain in the heart area and palpitations appear. A person becomes irritable, the function of memory and attention decreases, he becomes aggressive.

From the gastrointestinal tract, pain in the abdomen and frequent stools may appear. Reproductive function is impaired: infertility may occur, a marked decrease in libido. In men, impotence occurs, and in women - coldness. The lower rectus muscles of the eyes are most often exposed to fibrotic changes. AT clinical picture they look like strabismus and vertical double vision appears.

Treatment of Graves' disease is carried out by an ophthalmologist and an endocrinologist jointly.

Inflammatory processes are treated with antibiotics, but surgery may be required. When a tumor is required operation with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. When squeezed optic nerve an operation is performed in which fatty tissue is removed. If the cornea is damaged, the eyelids are sutured completely or partially.

How to relieve ongoing symptoms

Maintain eyeballs in constant moisture. For this, ophthalmic ointments are sold, which are applied at night. You must wear dark glasses. They have tinted lenses, camouflage bulging eyes and protect against sunlight and wind. Give up salt. Its use is able to form fluid in the body. Avoiding it will help reduce pressure on the eye area. When you go to bed, try to keep your head elevated. You will avoid swelling of the eyelids, which increase the appearance of bulging eyes. Use anti-inflammatory eye drops. But do not abuse them, as you can provoke vasodilation.

For treatment bulging eyes can go away some years. With prolonged compression of the optic nerve and its edema, complete blindness occurs, which is irreparable in the future.

Lead healthy lifestyle life: eat right, give up bad habits, avoid stressful situations, engage in moderate physical activity.

Thanks

The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Expert advice is required!

According to this classification eye diseases distinguish diseases eyeball and diseases of the adnexa of the eye. Diseases of the accessory apparatus of the eye, in turn, are anatomically divided into the following pathologies:

• diseases of the eyelids;
• diseases of the lacrimal organs;
• diseases of the conjunctiva of the eye;
• pathology of the oculomotor apparatus;
• diseases of the orbit of the eye (eye socket).

• diseases of the connective tissue membrane of the eye (sclera);
• corneal diseases;
• diseases of the lens of the eye;
• pathology of the vitreous body;
• violations of intraocular pressure;
• diseases associated with dysfunction of the eye focusing system (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism);
• diseases of the choroid of the eye (iris, ciliary body and choroid itself);
• pathology of the retina;
• optic nerve disease.

Diseases of the eyelid (chalazion, barley on the eye, blepharitis) - causes, symptoms and treatment. What processes in the body put the eyelid at risk of developing chronic inflammatory reactions

Eye disease chalazion (chalazion). Signs and treatment

The immediate cause of the development of this disease of the eyelids is the obstruction of the excretory duct of the meiobian gland, which leads to its overflow with subsequent breakthrough of the secret, around the granules of which, as a result of aseptic inflammation, a connective tissue capsule is formed, delimiting the chalazion from the surrounding tissues of the skin and cartilage.

Blockage of the excretory duct of the meiobian gland is most often the result of a violation of metabolic processes in the body. Risk factors for the development of chalazion are pathologies such as diabetes mellitus, peptic ulcer and duodenum, different kind allergic diseases.

On the early stages development of pathology, when a solid connective tissue capsule has not yet formed around the chalazion, they try to treat this disease of the eyelids with conservative methods, using local injections of glucocorticoids (kenalog-40, etc.).

However, in the majority of cases, surgical removal of hailstones is resorted to. It is a relatively safe operation and is performed under local anesthesia.

The prognosis for such an eye disease as chalazion is favorable, but it should be noted that in the case of difficult-to-remove metabolic disorders (severe forms of diabetes mellitus or serious allergic diseases), relapses are possible.

Common infectious eye diseases in adults and children: barley. Treatment and prevention

External barley occurs as a result of an infectious-inflammatory process in the sebaceous and sweat glands located on the edges of the eyelids, and internal - as a result of purulent fusion of the meiobian glands. So the external barley is easily determined visually in the form of an edematous nodule on the edge of the eyelid, and the internal one can be seen only by turning the eyelid.

The duration of such an eye disease as barley is short - no more than a week. The disease begins acutely with a feeling foreign body in the eye and / or discomfort at the edge of the affected eyelid, then pain appears, which intensifies as swelling increases in the affected area.

On the second or third day, a purulent head appears over the inflamed gland, which opens up by the fourth day of the illness. After spontaneous removal of the "rod" and pus, all symptoms quickly resolve themselves.

It should be remembered that in no case should you try to squeeze out the barley, since the spread of the process is possible, so that an innocent disease of the eyelids of the eye can be complicated by the development of purulent inflammation of the fatty tissue of the orbit or even thrombosis of the venous vessels. The use of moist heat (lotion) is also contraindicated, since it is possible to "screen out" new abscesses.

Multiple and often appearing barley, as a rule, indicate a decrease in immunity and vitamin deficiency. Often, the recurrent form of this disease of the eyelids of the eye develops against the background of diabetes mellitus and/or chronic pathologies of the digestive tract.

Treatment of barley is conservative: dry heat, as well as drops or ointments with antibiotics. In case of recurrent infectious diseases of the eyelids, general strengthening therapy is prescribed, the "Beer's yeast" bioadditive has proven itself well.

Diseases of the skin of the eyelids of the eye - causes and treatment. Peeling of the skin around the eyes, itching, redness as the main symptoms of an eye disease such as blepharitis

As a rule, blepharitis is a chronically occurring bilateral inflammatory lesion of the edges of the upper and lower eyelids of the eye. Chronization of the process is facilitated by overstrain of the organ of vision with inadequately corrected farsightedness or astigmatism, the presence of eye diseases such as chronic conjunctivitis and dry eye syndrome, as well as chronic lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, metabolic pathologies (diabetes mellitus), exposure to allergens (including medications), dust, dry air, cigarette and industrial smoke.

This eye disease can be both infectious and non-infectious in nature. Infectious blepharitis is most often caused by bacteria, but there are also viral and fungal diseases of the edges of the eyelids. Non-infectious blepharitis in the vast majority of cases is associated with a violation of the glands of the eyelids (sebaceous and meiobian).

Symptoms of blepharitis as a disease of the eyelids of the eye consist in the appearance of visible changes (thickening of the eyelids, the appearance of such pathological elements as scales, crusts, sores, etc.), as well as in the development of pain and itching in the affected area.

The treatment of blepharitis largely depends on its form (scaly, ulcerative, posterior (resulting from dysfunction of the meiobian glands), demodectic (tick-borne)) and includes local measures (treatment of the edges of the eyelids, the use of special drops and ointments) and general health measures (identification and treatment diseases of the digestive tract, correction of metabolic disorders, vitamin therapy, normalization of the immune system).

The prognosis is favorable only with long-term adequate treatment, since this disease The eye is characterized by a persistent course and a tendency to relapse.

Barley: symptoms, treatment and prevention - video

Red eyes are a symptom of what diseases?

Eye disease conjunctivitis is the most popular answer to the question: "what is the name of red eye disease." Causes of inflammatory disease of the mucous membrane of the eye and eyelids, symptoms, treatment

The main symptoms of this eye disease are signs of an inflammatory process in the conjunctival cavity, in particular:

• redness of the whites of the eyes and the inner surface of the eyelids;
• swelling of the eyelids;
• sensation of itching and / and discomfort in the eyelids;
• gluing cilia after sleep;
• purulent and / and mucous discharge, accumulating in the area of ​​​​the inner corner of the eye;
• visible enlargement of the conjunctival glands (follicles and papillae on the inner surface of the eyelids).

The causes of conjunctivitis are very diverse, so acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyelids and the eyeball can be caused by:
1. Bacterial infection, among which the most clinical significance are:

• staphylococcal conjunctivitis (acute and chronic);
• acute conjunctivitis caused by blue pus bacillus;
• acute gonococcal conjunctivitis (blennorrhea);
• diphtheria conjunctivitis.

• epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (an inflammatory process that simultaneously captures the conjunctiva and cornea);
• adenovirus conjunctivitis;
• epidemic hemorrhagic conjunctivitis with characteristic multiple hemorrhages in the mucous membrane;
• herpesvirus conjunctivitis.

• trachoma, often leading to severe irreversible changes in the mucous membrane of the eyelids and the eyeball, as well as damage to the cornea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe eye with the formation of a thorn;
• paratrachoma, characterized by a more benign course.

• spring keratoconjunctivitis (spring catarrh), which is a childhood allergic lesion of the eyes, prone to persistent chronically recurrent course;
• medicinal allergic conjunctivitis;
• pollinous conjunctivitis that occurs during the flowering period of certain herbs, cereals, trees;
• chronic allergic conjunctivitis, often associated with constant contact with "home" household allergens (fish food, ordinary house dust, pet hair and dander, household chemicals, etc.);
• allergic conjunctivitis associated with the use of contact lenses;
• macrocapillary conjunctivitis, which is a specific reaction of the mucous membrane of the upper eyelid to a foreign body (contact lenses, sutures after cataract extraction, scleral fillings).

Chronic inflammatory processes in the conjunctiva, as well as chronic inflammatory diseases of the eyelids, may indicate the presence of the following adverse factors:
1. Other eye diseases (uncorrected farsightedness or astigmatism, etc.);
2. Chronic pathologies of the whole organism (diabetes mellitus, diseases of the digestive tract, immune disorders, hypovitaminosis);
3. Non-compliance with elementary sanitary and hygienic measures at home and at work (increased dustiness of the premises, non-compliance with the regime of work and rest during work associated with increased eye strain, etc.).

Therefore, in the presence of chronic persistent conjunctivitis, it is necessary to conduct a detailed examination of the eyes and the whole body, as well as take all measures to protect the eyes from adverse environmental factors.

Eye disease keratitis (inflammation of the cornea): redness of the eyes, tearing, painful spasm of the eyelids

So, depending on the cause, they distinguish:
1. Bacterial keratitis , which, as a rule, are caused by trapped in the tissue damaged cornea pneumococci, staphylococci or streptococci and are manifested by such severe pathology as a creeping corneal ulcer (often leads to purulent damage to the vitreous body (endophthalmitis) or all membranes of the eye (panophthalmitis) with an extremely unfavorable prognosis in terms of maintaining vision).
2. Marginal keratitis , which are a complication of inflammatory diseases of the eyelids of the eye or / and conjunctivitis and have a relatively favorable prognosis (scars formed at the site of marginal lesions of the cornea, as a rule, do not affect the function of vision).

3. Fungal keratitis , which are rare lesions of the cornea with mold, radiant or yeast fungi that occur after minor injuries with the introduction of a fungal infection (work in the countryside or contact spread from skin lesions).
4. Endogenous or deep keratitis , which are "eye" manifestations of diseases not related to the organ of vision, such as:

• congenital or acquired syphilis;
• damage to the first branch trigeminal nerve(neuroparalytic keratitis);
• hypovitaminosis (lack of vitamins A, B 1, B 2, C, PP or / and E).

The clinic of eye diseases, united under the name of keratitis, largely depends on the cause that caused the pathology. However, there are also common symptoms characteristic of inflammation of the cornea of ​​any etiology, such as:

• photophobia;
• lacrimation;
• painful spasm of the eyelids (blepharospasm).

The corneal syndrome masks another obligatory symptom of corneal damage - a decrease in vision caused by a violation of its light-conducting function.

Redness of the eyes with keratitis is associated with paralysis of the vessels that feed the cornea. These vessels are located much deeper, so this kind of redness (the so-called deep or pericorneal injection) has its own characteristics:
1. The intensity of redness decreases in the direction from the cornea to the periphery of the eyeball;
2. The redness has a purple hue;
3. Unlike the redness of conjunctivitis, it is almost impossible to distinguish large vessels in a pericorneal injection.

Since the treatment of keratitis depends on the cause that caused the inflammatory disease of the cornea, and delayed or inadequate therapy can lead to irreparable loss of vision, it is extremely important to seek help from an ophthalmologist when the first signs of keratitis appear.

Chronic eye diseases, when redness of the eyes requires emergency medical intervention - glaucoma

Delay in medical care during an attack of this eye disease can lead to irreparable loss of vision, because as a result of a sharp increase in intraocular pressure, gross circulatory disorders in the retina of the eye occur, which can cause necrosis of the optic nerve head.

Meanwhile, to make the correct diagnosis of an attack of glaucoma is not so simple. The fact is that the organ of vision is closely interconnected with the central nervous system therefore, a significant increase in intraocular pressure causes the so-called cerebral symptoms (excruciating headache, nausea, vomiting).

In this case, pain in the affected eye may go unnoticed due to severe headache, so redness is extremely important symptom. Doctors advise in doubtful cases to compare the consistency of a healthy and affected eye and focus on such a characteristic symptom of an acute attack of glaucoma as "an eye hard as a stone." Suspicion of an acute increase in intraocular pressure is an indication for immediate hospitalization in the ophthalmological department of the hospital. Before the arrival of doctors, you can try to alleviate the attack with a hot foot bath (such a procedure will cause the outflow of blood from the head and reduce the intensity of cerebral symptoms of glaucoma).

Conjunctivitis: causes, symptoms, treatment - video

Diseases of the fundus

Visible with the help of ophthalmoscopy of the fundus signs of vascular disease of the retina and optic nerve

• Retina- the inner shell of the eye, consisting of ten layers, responsible for the perception of the visual image;
• Maculu or yellow spot- located in the central part of the fundus of the retina, responsible for the best zone of vision;
• Optic disc , with the help of which information from the retina is transmitted to the brain to the central part of the visual analyzer, located in the occipital lobe;
• Large vessels choroid, translucent through thin layers of the retina.

In addition, diagnostic ophthalmoscopy is necessary condition performing many operations on the retina. With the help of this examination, it is possible to determine the number of retinal breaks and their localization, to detect the most thinned places where further onset of retinal eye disease can be expected.

Vascular diseases of the retina. The fundus of the eye in diabetes and hypertension

• hypertonic disease;
• stenosis of the carotid artery;
• diabetes;
• late toxicosis of pregnant women;
• severe renal failure;
• severe anemia (anemia);
• conditions that occur with a change in the composition of the blood and an increase in its viscosity and create a threat of embolism of the central retinal artery.

Thus, an eye disease such as diabetic retinopathy often leads to complete blindness in patients with diabetes. The fact is that an increased level of sugar in the blood extremely adversely affects the condition of small arteries (arterioles) and veins (venules). As a result, tissue nutrition is disturbed, hemorrhages occur, which ultimately leads to irreversible changes in the retina and optic nerve head.

With hypertension, changes in the fundus often appear earlier than pronounced symptoms from other body systems. Therefore, ophthalmoscopy plays an important role in the diagnosis of this pathology.

The earliest changes in the fundus of the eye in hypertension are functional in nature and consist in expanding the lumen of the venules and narrowing the diameter of the arterioles. With further progression of the pathology, pronounced organic changes appear, such as sclerosis of arterioles, the appearance of small retinal hemorrhages, and pallor of the optic nerve head.

Clinically, these lesions manifest as an eye disease characterized by a decrease in visual acuity, the appearance of a veil before the eyes, a narrowing of the visual fields, and subjective complaints of deterioration in visual function.

bulging eye disease

Are bulging eyes always a disease? Graves' disease diagnosis

Graves' disease has several names - Graves' syndrome, diffuse toxic goiter, thyrotoxicosis. It should be noted that the term thyrotoxicosis in translation means poisoning the body with thyroid hormones. Data biologically active substances play a leading role in the body, regulating energy metabolism, so a change in their concentration causes systemic disorders, many of which are easily detected at the first consultative examination.

Medical tactics depend both on the severity of the "bulging eyes" symptom and on the activity of the autoimmune process. At the same time, it is mandatory to show such activities as:

• to give up smoking ;
• protection of the cornea from drying out with "artificial tear" drops;
• sleep with a bandage on the eyes (with poor closing of the eyelids);
• eye protection from bright light (use of tinted glasses);
• drug correction of the concentration of thyroid hormones in the blood.

As clinical experience shows, with moderate endocrine ophthalmopathy, a significant reduction in the symptoms of eye disease is possible after the activity of the autoimmune process subsides. If this does not happen, moderate ophthalmopathy during the inactive phase is corrected surgically: operations on the eyelids, oculomotor muscles, decompression of the orbits.

Severe endocrine ophthalmopathy poses a threat of irreparable loss of vision function, therefore, in such cases, surgical decompression of the orbits is carried out under the cover of pulse therapy with glucocorticoids (increased doses of powerful anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed at short intervals).

What is astigmatism eye disease? "Lazy eye" How is eye function corrected for astigmatism?

Symptoms of astigmatism, manifested already in the early stages of the disease, are:

;
• decreased visual acuity;
• rapid eye fatigue during work associated with visual strain;
• headache;
• curvature, bifurcation of objects in the field of vision.

With inadequate treatment of congenital or arising in early childhood astigmatism, lazy eye syndrome occurs, which is characterized by a sharp, poorly corrected decrease in visual function.

In such cases, blindness is not associated with anatomical defects in the structure of the organ of vision, but with a violation of the normal development of the central part of the visual analyzer, located in the occipital lobe of the cerebral cortex.

The treatment of astigmatism consists in the constant wearing of glasses with special astigmatism lenses. Achievements of modern optics make it possible to use contact lenses for correction.

Today they are very popular latest methods laser correction vision with astigmatism. This technique consists in correcting the defect by changing the curvature of the cornea using a laser beam.

Dry eye disease (dry eye syndrome)

This eye disease in young people is relatively rare, but with age, the number of patients with dry eye syndrome increases significantly. In women, menopause often becomes the impetus for the development of pathology.

The first symptoms of eye disease with dry keratoconjunctivitis are:

• sensation of a foreign body behind the eyelids;
• burning and pain in the conjunctiva of the eyes;
• poor tolerance of smoke, wind, bright sunlight;
• increased eye fatigue.

The diagnosis of an eye disease such as dry eye is established using special tests designed to assess tear production and tear film stability.

Since the mechanism for the development of pathology in dry eye syndrome is still not fully understood, only symptomatic treatment has been developed (therapy aimed at eliminating the signs of the disease).

Patients are prescribed "artificial tear" drops, which can be used 3 to 8 times a day. In the presence of an allergic component, desensitizing drops (Lekrolin) are used. In case of damage to the cornea, appropriate treatment is prescribed (Taufon).

In severe cases resort to surgical intervention(blockage of the nasolacrimal duct, through which tear fluid "runs away" from the eye).

Are different eyes a disease (meaning a different color of the iris)? If so, what is the name of the disease of different eyes?

In humans, heterochromia can be either congenital or acquired. Congenital heterochromia is not an eye disease. Many children born with eyes of different colors are absolutely healthy.

Previously, people with different eye colors were treated with great suspicion (it was believed that Satan had eyes of different colors). And today there are still superstitious citizens who are sure that you can jinx it with eyes of different colors. However, this prejudice has no real basis - different colour iris in no way affects the mental state of a person and does not award any special abilities.

Sometimes heterochromia can be one of the signs of severe congenital anomalies. Such, for example, as congenital hearing loss in Waardenburg syndrome. But in such cases, patients have other deviations visible to the eye, in particular, the appearance of patients with Waardenburg syndrome is very specific (displacement of the inner corner of the eye, wide back of the nose, fused eyebrows, gray strand on the forehead).

Acquired heterochromia is usually a sign of pathology. The fact is that eye color is due to the deposition of melanin in the iris, and some pathological processes can contribute to hypo- or hyperpigmentation.

So, for example, an increased deposition of melanin in the iris of one of the eyes can be caused by a tumor, and a decrease can be caused by damage to the nerve that stimulates the formation of melanin (Horner's syndrome).

There are a number of diseases in which there is such a symptom as bulging eyes. If it develops slowly and gradually, then the most likely causes are a dysfunction of the thyroid gland or the growth of an intraocular tumor that "squeezes" the eye out. At malignant neoplasms the prognosis is unfavorable, therefore, if bulging eyes appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. The rapid development of exophthalmos in most cases is associated with injuries and impaired blood circulation in the vessels of the brain. The choice of method of treatment depends on the etiology of the disease.

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Symptoms

Symptoms of exophthalmos are:

• bulging eyes - protrusion of the eyeball from under the eyelid and orbit, clearly visible when viewed from behind, from the back of the patient;
• decreased visual acuity;
• feeling of sand in the eyes;
• doubling of the image;
• pain with eye movement or at rest;
• increased lacrimation;
• redness and swelling of the eyelids, conjunctiva;
• incomplete closure of the eyelids.

Depending on the severity of exophthalmos, certain signs may appear.

With prolonged and severe bulging, the following symptoms occur:

• subluxation or dislocation of the eye from the orbit (the eyeball is completely separated from the orbit and is restrained by the eyelids);
• violation of the mobility of the eyes, up to paralysis of the oculomotor nerves;
• the development of marginal keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) due to the constant non-closure of the eyelids;
• the appearance of erosions and ulcers on the surface of the cornea when it dries up;
• an increase in intraocular pressure, which leads to degenerative changes in the retina of the eye;
• death of the conjunctiva;
• edema of the optic disc.

The degree of displacement of bulging eyes is determined by an ophthalmologist using an exophthalmometer device.

There is also pseudoexophthalmos (or false exophthalmos) in patients with a high degree of myopia due to distension of the eyeball.

exophthalmos



Causes of pathology

Bulging eyes in adults are due to several reasons, including:

• thyroid disease ( Graves' disease, or diffuse toxic goiter), hypothalamic syndrome;
• accumulation of inflammatory exudate in infectious and inflammatory diseases;
• intraorbital tumors;
• trauma, hemorrhage;
• thrombophlebitis of orbital veins;
• cysts in the paranasal sinuses (mucocele);
• purulent accumulations in the frontal, maxillary and ethmoid sinuses;
• pathological increase in the volume of bone tissue in the orbit (hyperostosis);
• increased tone of the autonomic nervous system.

In medicine, this condition is called exophthalmos. Bulging in humans may have varying degrees- from barely noticeable to pronounced, in which there is compression of the optic nerve and deterioration of vision. Lack of treatment can lead to its complete loss.



Thyroid disease

Most frequent The cause of bulging eyes in humans is diffuse toxic goiter associated with hyperproduction of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. With this disease, exophthalmos usually develops to a moderate degree, but sometimes reaches a significant size. The protrusion of the eyeball from the orbits is due to several physiological reasons:

• increased tone of the peripheral nervous system;
• vasomotor disorders (changes in blood distribution);
• an increase in the volume of orbital tissues;
• contraction of the ciliary (ciliary) muscle, as a result of which the palpebral fissure expands.

In some patients at the onset of thyroid disease, obvious exophthalmos may be absent (26% of cases). If only one eye is affected, then the bulging of the second occurs in the next 3 years.

In older people, the disease is dangerous by the appearance of disorders in cardiovascular system: atrial fibrillation, stretching of the cavities of the heart, the development of systolic dysfunction, heart failure. These pathologies can occur in patients with both overt and latent forms of the disease.

The progressive form of the disease develops most often in men over 40 years of age after surgical removal of the thyroid gland. The appearance of bulging eyes in this case is associated with excessive production of hormones by the pituitary gland. The following signs are also characteristic:

• significant swelling of the conjunctiva, in which it falls out in the form of a roller;
• bilateral damage to both eyes;
• exophthalmos reaches subluxation and dislocation;
• first, the movement of the eye is limited up, then to the sides and down;
• impaired sensitivity of the cornea;
• purulent ulcers form on its surface;
• fiber fibrosis and other general signs characteristic of exophthalmos in Graves' disease develop.



Inflammatory diseases

Bulging eyes can be observed with infectious-purulent inflammation of the orbit. This phenomenon occurs against the background of the following pathologies:

• diseases of the paranasal sinuses;
• carious process in the oral cavity;
• angina;
• erysipelas (inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes caused by streptococcus);
• measles;
• boils on the skin of the face and head;
• flu;
• septicemia;
• scarlet fever;
• tuberculosis;
• inflammation of the periosteum;
• syphilis and other infectious diseases.

Posterior osteoperiostitis, accompanied by inflammation of the bone wall of the orbit, most often cause staphylococci, streptococci, tubercle bacillus, pale treponema (the causative agent of syphilis). In this case, the eyes bulge with their displacement to the side, the sensitivity of the eyelids and cornea decreases. With syphilis exophthalmos is accompanied by nocturnal pains. Mycobacterium tuberculosis more common in children.

Tenon's membrane inflammation, covering the eyeball along the back surface and ensuring the correct position of the eye in the orbit, is characterized by pain when moving the eyes and a feeling of bulging. These symptoms are associated with the accumulation of serous or purulent exudate between the eyeball and the capsule.

Tenonite occurs as a complication in the following cases:

• eye damage;
• surgical operations to eliminate strabismus;
• infectious and inflammatory processes;
• flu;
• erysipelas;
• rheumatism and other pathologies.

Injuries

Exophthalmos occurs with several types of injuries:

• fractureskull base(symptom of "glasses" - bilateral hemorrhage under the eyelids and in the conjunctiva, drooping of the upper eyelid, paralysis of the muscles of the eye).
• Fracture of the orbit(pain, veil before the eyes, bifurcation of visual objects, swelling and hemorrhage in the eyelids, narrowing palpebral fissure, drooping eyelids, impaired mobility of the eyeball).
• Orbital contusion(bradycardia, nausea, vomiting, hemorrhages under the eyelids and conjunctiva, deterioration of visual acuity up to complete blindness). As complications arise: the addition of a secondary infection, meningitis, brain abscess, atrophy of the optic nerve.
• Torn, cut or chippedeye soft tissue wounds(fatty tissue loss, omission of the eyelid, paralysis of the muscles of the eye with a deep wound).

These conditions are treated with surgery.

Tumors

All types of tumors develop in the orbital region. A bulging eye, its deviation to one side, and rapidly progressing exophthalmos can be symptoms of a tumor growing in the orbit. The frequency of development of malignant ocular tumors is about 20% of all types of localization of neoplasms. This phenomenon is equally common among women and men.

In childhood, most often diagnosed:

1. 1. Glioma of the optic nerve accompanied by neurofibromatosis. It often spreads into the cranial cavity, impairs visual acuity and causes various defects in its fields. The disease in the early stages can be detected by ultrasound and x-ray studies.
2. 2. Sympathoblastoma of the orbit. It is a malignant tumor that usually affects both eyes to varying degrees. The prognosis of the disease is poor, only symptomatic treatment of complications is possible.

In older people, meningioma of the optic nerve in the orbital part is more often detected. The growth of a neoplasm in the orbit causes exophthalmos, blurred vision. The meningioma grows slowly, but the prognosis for maintaining vision is poor. Less common are secondary tumors of the optic nerve resulting from metastasis.

A malignant tumor of the retina causes a rapidly growing exophthalmos at a late, 3rd stage of the disease. When germinating in the anterior part of the eye, it comes out and looks like a fungus with a bumpy surface. In advanced cases, the size of the neoplasm can reach several centimeters in diameter.

Squeezing and displacement of the eye also cause benign tumors:

• angiomas (vascular tumors) - the most common type of benign formations in the orbit;
• lymphangiomas (from the cells of the lymphatic vessels);
• osteomas (from bone tissue);
• lipomas ("wen");
• fibromas (from connective tissue);
• cysts, including congenital, and other formations.

Angiomas are characterized by slow tumor growth, increased bulging of the eyes when the head is tilted, coughing and straining. The treatment is carried out surgically, followed by plastic surgery of the eye socket.

Other pathologies

Bulging eyes can also be the result of vascular disorders:

• Thrombosis of the veins of the brain. This pathology entails serious consequences. Exophthalmos is most often bilateral, there is complete immobility of the eyeballs. The disease appears suddenly.
• Thrombophlebitis(blockage and inflammation of the walls of blood vessels) of the orbital veins is accompanied by reddening of the skin of the face, exophthalmos, decreased eye mobility, in severe cases, the patient's general well-being deteriorates rapidly, up to loss of consciousness. A few hours after the onset of the first signs and displacement of one eye, thrombosis of the veins of the second orbit, paralysis may occur. eye muscles, total loss vision, symptoms of meningitis and brain abscess appear. In the future, if left untreated, death occurs due to purulent inflammation of the meninges.
• Orbitalhemorrhages(spontaneously or after damage to the orbit). Spontaneous hemorrhages can appear with a lack of vitamin C, thrombocytopenic purpura, arteriovenous aneurysm. Characteristic features These deviations are the sudden onset of exophthalmos, pulsation of the bulging eye, noise in the head, swelling of the eyelids, redness of the conjunctiva.

Treatment of these diseases is carried out by surgery.

Puffy eyes in children

In newborns, bulging eyes are a sign of several abnormalities, including:

• Marcus-Gunn Syndrome. Unilateral or bilateral exophthalmos is noticeable when sucking milk, the degree of its severity is different. Pathology is congenital.
• intracranial hypertension. In this case, the child's bilateral exophthalmos is permanent.
• Calcium metabolism disorders accompanied by hemorrhages in the orbit.
• Mucopolysaccharidosis. At birth, such children have a broad face, bulging eyes, a saddle nose, deviations in the skeletal system, underdeveloped muscles, milky cornea opacities and an increase in its diameter, and thickened eyelids.
• xanthomatous granuloma. The narrowing of the eye socket is due to the accumulation of cholesterol and triglycerides. The result is exophthalmos.

The last 2 pathologies are congenital disorders of lipid metabolism. Such metabolic diseases are usually incurable.

Bulging eyes can be observed in the first hours after birth and in healthy babies. This is due to adaptive stress in the first day of life and activation of the pituitary gland during childbirth. Exophthalmos in such children is combined with a slight trembling of the limbs and an increase in the pulse rate. This phenomenon occurs in 5% of full-term babies and 15% of premature babies.

At a later age, bulging eyes in a child may appear with:

• vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• taking corticosteroids;
• whooping cough;
• infectious and noncommunicable diseases that cause exophthalmos in adults;
• lack of vitamin C and D. Most often this occurs in children with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, as well as in the treatment of sulfanilamide antibiotics.

A characteristic sign of exophthalmos in young children is Graefe's symptom - a white strip of sclera between the iris and eyelid when the child looks up or down. A mild degree of exophthalmos in the first months of a newborn's life is not considered pathological and does not require specific treatment (in the absence of other identified diseases).

Treatment

The method of treatment of exophthalmos depends on the causes of its occurrence:

Cause	Therapy
Infectious and inflammatory diseases	sanitation of foci of inflammation ( paranasal sinuses nose, throat, oral cavity and others); local physiotherapy: UHF, diathermy and other methods; the introduction of antibacterial agents into the infectious focus and their systemic use (drugs of the tetracycline, sulfanilamide group, and others); surgical opening of purulent abscesses; specific treatment for syphilis and tuberculosis
Eye injury and bleeding	The following drugs are prescribed: solutions of sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate (intravenously); rutin and ascorbic acid (to reduce the permeability of blood vessels); aminocaproic acid, fibrinogen (to stop bleeding); Nerobol, Retabolil, Pentoxyl to improve tissue nutrition and other drugs. Place use cold compresses. With a significant hemorrhage and displacement of the eyeball, a surgical operation is performed
Diffuse toxic goiter	drug therapy (Tiamazol and its analogues); radiation exposure to radioactive iodine; hormone therapy after a course of radiotherapy (Prednisolone, levothyroxine sodium); surgical intervention

Before treatment, the patient must consult an endocrinologist. Mild endocrine ophthalmopathy is treated only symptomatically, expectant management is carried out. Every 2-3 months you need to consult an ophthalmologist.

Friends, as part of today's publication, I propose to consider thyrotoxicosis of the thyroid gland - what is it? The publication of this material was influenced by a letter from one reader. I will quote it verbatim, on condition of anonymity:

Hello, tell me please. I have a very enlarged thyroid gland, became irritable. The eyes have changed a lot, become more prominent. It's scary to look at yourself in the mirror. I can't go to the hospital Small child. Please tell me how to treat this disease at home. Thank you in advance.

For some reason, bulging eyes in nine cases out of ten are formed in women. Men with thyroid problems do not have to experience eye discomfort either. True, in recent years, men have also begun to overcome this bulging.

Causes of thyrotoxicosis

But the problem is not in the eyes, but in the thyroid gland. More precisely, in increasing the production of hormones by it. The gland, as it were, works in two shifts and produces more hormone than the body needs. The blood is oversaturated with thyroid hormones. In medical circles, this disease is called thyrotoxicosis.

Which organs are affected

Problems begin with both the cardiovascular and nervous systems. A person becomes whiny, irritable, can flare up very quickly and sharply respond to a seemingly trifle. Also characteristic are trembling in the body, some sweating, hair begins to fall out profusely. Problems also arise with nails - they become thinner and break.

At severe forms thyrotoxicosis disrupts the rhythm of the heart. The lower pressure decreases and the upper pressure rises. For example, 150 to 50.

Why is this happening

The function of the adrenal glands is disturbed, and they are just responsible for regulating the functioning of our thyroid gland. This way it happens chain reaction. Problems with the adrenal glands - thyroid gland - external manifestations.

Disorder can also occur from some infections, viruses. Inheritance means a lot. Most often, people with a fragile physique and a mobile psyche suffer.

Symptoms of thyrotoxicosis

The symptoms visible on the surface are, of course, protruding eyes.

Why are the eyes bulging?

There is scarring of soft tissues instead of eye tissue. So to speak, the replacement of native tissue with a scar. A steady swelling of the muscles responsible for eye movement is also formed. Eyes protruding, medically this is called ophthalmopathy.

What else

Also mental disorders, heart problems. With cardiac disorders, the liver is also endangered. Edema may appear. With the lungs, there can also be problems in the form of stagnation of the lymph.

Weakness in the muscles, unreasonable diarrhea are also characteristic. Body temperature will be around 37 degrees. And, accordingly, all the feelings of malaise associated with this. Women may also notice irregularities in their menstrual cycle.

The metabolic processes in the body are accelerated. And this means that no matter how much a person eats food, everything will literally burn in the fire of metabolism anyway. The consumption of nutrients will increase, the appetite will also increase, but on the contrary, it will fall. The entire endocrine system is under attack.

Treatment with pharmaceutical preparations

Normalizes the increased function of the thyroid gland hormonal drugs thyreostatics. Mercazolil is an analogue of the German drug Tyrozol. Take 30 mg daily for the first month, then the dosage is reduced. The course of treatment is a year and a half.

Transfer factor is another such drug. The first week, drink one capsule a day, the second week - two, etc. See the instructions.

Endorm is a drug based on white cinquefoil. It contains many herbal ingredients. In addition to cinquefoil, there is an extract of a string.

Control the blood

Monitor blood while taking medication. Once a month is recommended general analysis blood with platelets. This is required due to the fact that the drugs can reduce the levels of platelets and white blood cells in the blood.

Treatment with folk remedies

All of the following recipes require long-term use for a long-term effect. At least a year or even a year and a half. In each case, a course is given, but be guided by these terms and plan their repetitions.

White bloodroot

Take ten grams of dried and ground Potentilla. Pour a glass of boiling water and insist from evening to morning in a thermos. Drink a third of a glass half an hour before meals three times a day.

Gradually increase the dosage to one glass at a time, and then reduce it back to the original proportions. The course of treatment is ten months.

Partitions of walnuts

Collect 300 grams of partitions from walnuts and fill them with a liter of alcohol. If alcohol is difficult to get, then use vodka.

Infuse the composition in the dark for two weeks, then strain and drink a teaspoon three times a day half an hour before meals. The course of treatment is 21 days, then a week break and a repetition of the course.

Licorice Root and Madder Root

Mix 20 grams of licorice root with 40 grams of red madder root. Pour three cups of boiling water and leave for an hour. The infusion should be drunk in the morning, all at once, 40 minutes before meals.

Green walnuts

Chop 50 green walnuts from a branch. Fill them with alcohol or vodka completely so that the mass is slightly under the liquid. Insist two months.

Take one teaspoon three times a day half an hour before meals. The composition is well stored, so you can prepare immediately for the entire course. Residents of the Krasnodar Territory are very lucky in this regard - walnut grows very well there.

Big eyes are generally considered beautiful, but sometimes you have to watch a person’s eyeballs literally “roll out” from their sockets. What does this indicate?

health pathology

"Puffy-eyed" is scientifically called exophthalmos. And in many cases, it is a symptom of various diseases.

The most common of these is thyroid disease. Hyperthyroidism is caused by an increase in the concentration of the hormones triiodothyronine and thyroxine in the body. Excessive secretion of these hormones can lead to poisoning by them and the appearance of diffuse toxic goiter, or Basedow's disease, which has an autoimmune nature. It is also called Graves' disease, since the so-called endocrine ophthalmopathy was first described in 1835 by R. J. Graves. She suffered, among other things, Nadezhda Krupskaya, who, because of this hallmark- bulging eyes - even nicknamed Lamprey.

Here is how Vladislav Leonkin describes the causes of the disease in the book “Eye Diseases: When the Mirror of the Soul Dims”:

"Because of advanced level thyroid hormones, the small amount of fat that exists behind the eyeball in the eye socket grows excessively. This increased adipose tissue pushes the eyeball forward."

In addition, bulging eyes can be a sign of other diseases - glaucoma, various benign and malignant tumors, thrombosis of cerebral vessels, trichinosis, inflammation of the sinuses, may be the result of a traumatic brain injury.

The pathology is characterized by symptoms such as a white gap between the upper eyelids and the iris, darkening of the upper eyelid. There is also unilateral bulging, when only one eye protrudes from the orbit, and everything is in order with the second.

There is false bulging, when the eyes look protruding, but at the same time, the eyeballs are within the normal range: they protrude from the orbits by no more than 15-18 millimeters. With an anomaly, the protrusion exceeds this figure by 2-8 millimeters. Bulging eyes are often seen in people who long time malnourished or starving. “Unfortunately, the cause is usually facial cachexia due to starvation, but this cannot be considered true exophthalmos, since in fact it is only a relative expansion of the eyes compared to the surrounding tissues,” comments V. Leonkin.

If you suspect a pathology, you should immediately consult a doctor, especially if nothing like this has ever been observed in a person before. Treatment is prescribed depending on the specific cause of the disease.

Physiological feature

Sometimes "bulging eyes" do not indicate any pathological processes in the body, they can be a physiological and even genetic feature. For example, such eyes are passed from parents to children. However, experts say that diseases associated with bulging eyes can also be inherited, so it still does not interfere with periodic examinations: such people are at risk.

Anthropological type and nationality

As for bulging eyes as a national trait, it is believed that such eyes are most often found in representatives of Jewish nationality. But no less, according to N.A. Usoltsev in the work “Anthropological differences of the human figure: sexual, facial. Conditions for creating races”, they can often be found among the peoples of the Mediterranean (for example, Spaniards, Italians, Romanians, Greeks, Egyptians), among the peoples of the Iranian group (Persian Armenians), as well as Polynesians living on the islands of Oceania.

personality traits

Specialists in physiognomy believe that people with "bulging" eyes have certain traits of character and temperament. So, Theodor Schwartz in the book “Reading Faces. Physiognomy" writes that such people have an open character, they are ambitious, decisive, reckless, inclined to take risks. “Unfortunately, people with such eyes sometimes do not look into their inner world, do not try to develop spiritually, which often leads to ridiculous recklessness, ”Schwartz notes. However, in the end, the owners of bulging eyes are most often able to make the right decision. According to the researcher, they are quite sexy and sexy, and it is not surprising that people with such eyes have many admirers.