For bulging eyes, there is almost always an underlying cause. If you were born with prominent eyes, or have it in your genes, it’s usually not too much of an issue, but still should be looked at by a doctor to ensure there isn’t an underlying condition lurking.

For many people, they do not recognize early in life that they have this gene. But it’s important to know that ‘prominent’ eyes and ‘bulging’ eyes are two different things. The best way to see if your eyes are bulging is to compare photographs from present day and 10-20 years ago. There are numerous causes for bulging eyes, such as:

• Glaucoma
• Graves Disease
• Hemangioma
• Histiocytosis
• Hyperthyroidism
• Hyperthyroidism caused by medications for other conditions
• Leukemia
• Orbital Cellulitis
• Periorbital Cellulitis
• Neuroblastoma
• Rhabdomyosarcoma

Patients having these diseases are more prone to proptosis.

• Glaucoma
• Graves Disease
• Hemangioma
• Histiocytosis
• Hyperthyroidism
• Hyperthyroidism caused by medications for other conditions
• Leukemia
• Orbital Cellulitis
• Periorbital Cellulitis
• Neuroblastoma
• Rhabdomyosarcoma

Normally, there should be no visible white between the top of the iris (the colored part of the eye) and the upper eyelid. Seeing white in this area is usually a sign that there is abnormal eye bulging occurring. There are many symptoms one will experience while dealing with bulging eyes. These symptoms and other problems include:

• Difficulty closing eyes fully while sleeping or blinking
• Drying of the cornea
• Discomfort
• Scarring which can lead to permanent vision loss
• Difficulty with eye movement
• Increase in white part of eye showing

If a person suddenly develops proptosis, especially in just one eye, it is considered a very serious problem. Sudden onsets of proptosis should always be evaluated by an ophthalmologist immediately.

If the bulging is mild, ophthalmologist can take measurements with a ruler or an exophthalmometer. As long as measurements are within a certain range, more testing isn’t necessary. However, if measurements are out of the normal range other tests will be necessary and could include an MRI, blood work, ultrasound or even a biopsy.

Proptosis can be a very serious situation for some people. The bulging orbit may increase the pressure behind and inside the eye called intraocular pressure. As the intraocular pressure increases, so do risks for other eye diseases such as glaucoma.

Treating bulging eyes heavily depends on the underlying cause. Eyes do not bulge out for any given reason, so it’s safe to assume there is a more serious problem lurking. Depending on the underlying causes, medications can help. Other times, in more serious cases, surgery may be necessary. There is really nothing you can do at-home or on your own to correct this problem. Treatment needs to be done by your health care professional.

If child has crossed or outwardly deviating eyes, the eye muscles may benefit from surgical repair. Droopy eyelids or cataracts may also need surgical intervention

The outcomes are satisfactory.

If left untreated, exophthalmos can cause the eyelids to fail to close during sleep leading to corneal dryness and damage. Another possible complication would be a form of redness or irritation called "Superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis", where the area above the cornea becomes inflamed as a result of increased friction when blinking. The process that is causing the displacement of the eye may also compress the optic nerve or ophthalmic artery, leading to blindness.

Regular follow ups are required and it depends upon the severity and strength of disease.

The expense depends upon the grades of treatment.