What Can You Do If Your Eye Pops Out

Believe it or not, when your eye pops out of your head it is not as traumatic as it sounds. If treated in a timely manner, this condition, also known as globe luxation, can be treated in your local emergency department.

Causes of Globe Luxation

Your eye can pop out of its socket for many reasons. A traumatic blow to the head, blunt force to the socket area, a hard sneeze is all common causes. Floppy Eyelid Syndrome and shallow eye sockets are also common precipitating causes. It might even happen when you are putting in your contact lenses.

What Happens When the Eyeball Comes Out?

When your eyeball comes out, it won't be pleasant. There will be a lot of pain and discomfort. Your eyelid will shut and you will feel uncomfortable. Your eye, while hanging out of the socket, will be susceptible to corneal abrasions.

Treatment is Simple

When your eye comes out, get to an emergency department as soon as you can. Cover the eye with wet, sterile gauze to protect the eye from possible abrasions or other trauma. Once in the ED, the doctor will numb the area up with a topical anesthetic, and possibly give you some pain killers. He will then, most likely, just use his gloved hand to gently put the eye back in place. The doctor might even use a gently curved tool for just this task. You will then be sent home with some form of eye drops. On rare occasions when the swelling of the eye is too great, you might require a minor surgical procedure to replace the eye.

Sources;

U.S. Library of Medicine; Alp,B; Yanvali, A; Elibol, O; Talu, H; Karabas,L: Eur J of Emer Med 2001 Dec;8(4):331-2; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11785604

Globe Subluxation: Review and Management; Review of Ophthalmology; Leiv M. Takle, MD and Ann P. Murchison, MD; http://www.revophth.com/index.asp?page=1_13441.htm

Management of traumatic luxation of the globe. A case report; Kiratli, H; Tumer, B, Bilgic,s: Acta Opthalmologica Scandinavica; http://www.researchgate.net/publication/12893560_Management_of_traumatic_luxation_of_the_globe._A_case_report