Bulging eyes are one of those eye conditions that not only affects the function of the eye, it also has an undesirable effect on your appearance. Medically known as exophthalmos, there are different treatment options for protruding eyes, including surgical intervention. Given the well-trained ophthalmologists and affordable medical services in Iran, you can have your protruding eye (exophthalmos) surgery in Iran to get your bulging eyes corrected in good hands and at a fair price. Read on to learn more about protruding eye treatment and then contact us if you want to learn more about how to arrange for protruding eye surgery in Iran.

Exophthalmos (Bulging Eyes) Treatment in Iran: All you need to know

What is exophthalmos?

According to Dorland’s Medical Dictionary, Exophthalmos is an abnormal protrusion of the eyeball. It is also when the eyes bulge out of the face as a result of an increase in the volume of the tissue behind the eyes. This condition is also known as proptosis.

Exophthalmos is not only a condition but a disorder that can mainly be fully rectified through exophthalmos (protruding eyes) surgery.

This disorder can affect a single eye which is called unilateral exophthalmos and when it affects both eyes it is known as bilateral exophthalmos.

Exophthalmos typically occurs when there is an increase in the orbital contents within the bony orbits which leads to a further displacement of the globe.

Causes of Exophthalmos

In adults, the most usual cause of exophthalmos is thyroid-related diseases such as Graves’ ophthalmopathy (Graves’ disease), an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland. Similar to most autoimmune diseases, Graves’ disease is a result of the immune system attacking healthy tissues, which in turn leads to an overactive thyroid gland or hyperthyroidism. Research has shown that this condition affects 1 in 3 people with hyperthyroidism.

But in children, orbital cellulitis is often the main cause for unilateral exophthalmos and bilateral exophthalmos is likely to be a result of leukemia and neuroblastoma. However, in a child or adult, both unilateral and bilateral exophthalmos can be treated with exophthalmos/protruding eyes surgery.

A person with hyperthyroidism has a hyperactive thyroid gland that releases extra hormones and causes it to grow. The thyroid is located in the neck just below Adam’s apple. The hormones it produces, Thyroxine and Triiodothyronine, help to regulate the rate of metabolism, growth, and other essential functions of the body.

For a healthy person, the immune system should attack pathogens, substances, and organisms that are bad for us. Substances like bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi, and cancer cells are often attacked by the immune system. However, in an unhealthy person when the immune system begins to attack healthy tissues, then this condition is known as an autoimmune reaction.

Graves’ disease is part of the autoimmune reactions and once a person’s immune system begins to attack the thyroid gland, this causes hyperthyroidism which often leads to Exophthalmos (bulging eyes)

As a result of hyperthyroidism, the muscles surrounding the eyes become swollen or inflamed, which leads to crowding in the bony orbit and gives way to the protrusion of the eyeballs.

However, hyperthyroidism does not immediately cause protruding eyes and it may take some time for it to happen.

People with the underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) can also be occasionally affected by the exophthalmos and on rare occasions, people with normal thyroid function. Also, men and women who smoke are susceptible to exophthalmos (protruding eyes).

Exophthalmos can also have other causes as follows:

• Abnormally shaped vessels behind the eyes
• An injury to the eyes
• Bleeding behind the eyes
• An infection of the tissue behind the eye socket (orbital cellulitis)
• Cancerous tissues
• Accumulation of fluid in the tissues surrounding the eyeballs
• Vascular abnormalities of the orbit.

Symptoms of Exophthalmos

The major symptom of exophthalmos is the protrusion of the eyeballs, but symptoms such as pain and discomfort, cornmeal dryness, difficulty closing the eyes, scarring, and difficulty opening the eyes or blinking can also be experienced.

A person with exophthalmos (bulging eyes) can also experience the following:

• Eye irritation
• Sensitivity to light or photophobia
• Double vision caused by the weakening of the eye muscles
• Blindness if the optic nerve is compressed
• Blurred vision
• Eye secretions
• Unwanted shedding of tears
• Pressure behind and around the eyes
• Insomnia
• Anxiety

Diagnosis of Exophthalmos

Exophthalmos is mostly diagnosed through a physical assessment by an ophthalmologist but it can be easily recognizable by the protrusion of the eyes.

However, it is advised to undergo a series of tests when you notice your eyes are abnormally protruding. Some of the tests to undergo include:

• A blood test to find out if the thyroids glands are functioning as they should
• MRIs and CT scans to examine the eye socket or orbit as such scans can detect any form of abnormality in the eyes or around the eyes
• Measurement of the extent of the protrusion using equipment like an Exophthalmometer
• Imaging scans such as MRI and CTs to evaluate the structure of the brain.

Treatment Options of Exophthalmos

The treatment options for exophthalmos depend on the cause, the person’s age, and the state of the person’s health.

However, if it is caused by a thyroid problem, the treatment focuses on returning the thyroid hormones levels to normal. But, bringing the person’s thyroid hormone levels back to normal might not be the final solution. Other treatments like Exophthalmos (bulging eyes) surgery should be considered.

If the condition is caused by inflammation, corticosteroids may be prescribed.

In some cases of this condition, exophthalmos (protruding eyes) surgery is often considered the best option. Most times, surgery is advised if the patient’s eye veins and arteries are disconnected.

Other non-surgical treatments for the Exophthalmos (bulging eyes) are:

• Sunglasses for eyes sensitivity
• Natural tears for eye lubrication
• Medications that decrease the immune response such as cyclosporine
• Corticosteroids for inflammation
• Medications that are capable of blocking antibodies such as Rituximab
• Radiotherapy

If the exophthalmos (bulging eyes) has advanced to a severe stage where the only option is the exophthalmos (bulging eyes) surgery, one can consider the following surgical options

Eyelid Surgery: this surgical procedure is carried out to protect the cornea and prevent the outer eyeball from damage

Orbital decompression: This is a procedure in which the ophthalmologist enlarges the orbit to create room for the eye muscles and tissues

Eye muscle surgery: This surgical procedure is done to correct abnormal eye surgery.

Complications of Exophthalmos

When a person with the condition refuses to get it treated or undergo exophthalmos surgery, certain complications may arise.

If exophthalmos is left untreated, the person will be unable to close the eyelids during sleep, which would lead to cornea drying and retina damage. And when the corneas are left dried for a long period, there is a high risk of infections which often leads to damaged vision.

Persons with exophthalmos (bulging eyes) disease are very likely to experience conjunctivitis or superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis in which the area above the cornea inflames as a result of continuous and abnormal blinking.

Furthermore, in some very rare cases, some people might experience compression of the ophthalmic artery or compression of the optic nerve which affects their eyesight and eventually leads to blindness.

Exophthalmos is not quite a severe condition. Fortunately, the condition can be treated with various forms of treatment. However, the longer a person remains with untreated exophthalmos, the worse the severity of the condition becomes and the more it begins to defy all treatment methods.

Thus, it is crucial to seek medical intervention immediately after a condition like exophthalmos is diagnosed so treatment can commence instantly.

Exophthalmos surgery cost in Iran

The cost of protruding eye (exophthalmos) surgery in Iran is highly lower than that in most other countries and this is because of economic factors. However, it is difficult to give a precise price quote for bulging eye surgery in Iran unless we know more about your condition and the severity of the problem. You can send us a message on WhatsApp or fill out our consultation form for a free consultation and more information about exophthalmos eye treatment in Iran.