eye bulges - causes??

[joko]

What could cause one eye to bulge out and ache (not visibly noticable, only slightly when compared) ?

the eyelashes on the eye point downwards - the other side point up - but thats been since i was 15 (i am 33)

its not glaucoma and the specialist said he can't see anything wrong, so it must just be something from birth - but it has only been feeling odd for about 2-3 years.... my eye wasn't achey or feeling odd while he was doing the tests though...don't know if that would make a difference.

he said to go back for a check up in years time

my eyesight is great, though occasionally i get a sort of feint shadow at the bottom of this eye, but only when i sit in a certain way (?) peripheral vision tests were very good

any ideas??

thanks

[jerseyjane69]

don't know if it's irrelevant as you had it from birth,, but bulging eyes are caused by thyroid problems,, worth a mention i thought..

[Le Chat]

I often have a type of ache in my right eye and it looks slightly more 'staring' than the ther one. No one else would notice that in a million years except me though. I have been to see a specialist on 2 occasions but both found nothing ...so maybe it is due to stress!! However, both may father, his sister and brother and their father have glaucoma, as did my mother's father; so i'm wondering if it could somehow be a precurser to developing it later.

[Clanad]

jerseyjane's insight is valuable. A thyroid that is either under or over performing can cause the symptoms you describe. Often, optometrists and even opthamologists can overlook this aspect because the interior health of the eye seems adequate. As strange as it may seem, a primary symptom of hypothyroidism (under-performing) is that the eyebrows do not extend beyond the outer corner of the eye. Obviously there are other symptoms, but a regular M.D. should look at this for you. The thyroid gland is about 2 inches square in the vague shape of a butterfly that lies at the bottom front of the throat and an examination includes the doctors manipulation of the gland to determine size... Good luck!

[ermintrude35]

..eye bulging is one of the side effects of an overactive thyroid ...a quick blood test will determin this..I have had an underactive thyroid for 11 years now, it's no huge problem once it's diagnosed, you just take 1 or 2 tablets everyday... good luck...

[depressedmgl]

Ermintruse is quite correct, bulging eyes in hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) is known as exophthalums - the spelling might be wrong but the info isn't.

[joko]

its only one eye though...would that still be thyroid related??