Globe luxation is the medical term for when an eyeball protrudes or "pops" out of the eye socket. This rare condition can happen spontaneously or occur due to head or eye trauma. Some systemic health conditions, such as floppy eyelid syndrome and thyroid eye disease, can also increase the risk of globe luxation.

Can your eyeball come out of its socket?

Not all popped eyeballs come from head trauma. A few people can luxate their globes on purpose, and certain others get “spontaneous globe luxation” when their eyelids are pushed in the right way. Someone with shallow eye sockets or floppy eyelid syndrome, for example, might pop his eyeballs during a regular eye exam.

Can you lose your eyeballs?

In cases of severe eye injury, eye cancer or other serious disease of the eye, it may be impossible to save the eye and the eyeball must be surgically removed. The most common type of procedure to remove a badly damaged or diseased eye is called enucleation.