{"id":56353,"date":"2023-01-10T09:30:32","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T14:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=56353"},"modified":"2024-10-25T10:56:45","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T14:56:45","slug":"thyroid-eye-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/thyroid-eye-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Your guide to thyroid eye disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thyroid eye disease (TED) is a rare autoimmune condition that causes <\/span>inflammation<\/span><\/a> and swelling in the tissues surrounding the eyes. It can cause eye problems like painful, red, irritated, bulging eyes. Vision is often affected, and rarely, vision loss is permanent. The condition is usually associated with a thyroid condition called Graves’ disease, but other thyroid conditions, like hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid, may also be involved.<\/span><\/p>\n

TED can negatively affect your quality of life and cause significant distress. The good news is that effective treatment options are available for thyroid eye disease, including medication, lifestyle changes, and surgery.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s take a look at thyroid eye disease: what it is, how to know if you have it, and what can be done to treat the symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is thyroid eye disease?<\/span> <\/b><\/h2>\n

Thyroid eye disease (TED) is sometimes referred to as Graves’ ophthalmopathy or Graves’ orbitopathy. Although people with TED don’t always have Graves’ disease, it is strongly linked to this condition.<\/span> Ninety percent of people with TED also have Graves’ disease<\/span><\/a> or have had it at some point in their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

TED is an <\/span>autoimmune disease<\/span><\/a>, meaning that your immune system attacks the body, which results in inflammatory symptoms. TED is characterized by swelling of the tissues surrounding the eyes, including<\/span> connective tissue, muscle tissue, and fat tissue<\/span><\/a>. Eyes become red, swollen, dry, itchy, and irritated.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

There are two main phases of TED:<\/span> the active and stable phase<\/span><\/a>. The active phase is characterized by progressive inflammation and irritation of the eyes, as well as vision changes. This phase can last anywhere from<\/span> six months to two years<\/span><\/a>. The stable phase comes next, and is characterized by an inactivation of the condition. Although swelling around the eyes diminishes, vision changes may persist in the stable phase of TED. <\/span><\/p>\n

What causes thyroid eye disease?<\/span> <\/b><\/h2>\n

Thyroid eye disease is often associated with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease causing <\/span>hyperthyroidism<\/span><\/a>, but not everyone with TED has Graves’ disease. Still, the majority of people who have TED have Graves’ disease, or another thyroid condition, such as an underactive thyroid due to a different autoimmune thyroid disorder called Hashimoto thyroiditis.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It is a common misconception that TED is caused by hyperthyroidism (an ‘overactive’ thyroid gland), most commonly Graves’ Disease, even to the point where TED is sometimes called, Graves’ Eye Disease,” explains<\/span> Howard Krauss<\/span><\/a>, MD, surgical neuro-ophthalmologist and director of Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Eye, Ear and Skull Base Center. “The association of these two autoimmune diseases is so prevalent that it is more likely than not that having one of these conditions is predictive that the other is likely, although the two diseases may occur years apart.” <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Like Graves’ disease, TED is an autoimmune disease. In the case of TED, the body mistakes the tissues near the eye as foreign bodies and attacks them. The mechanism that causes TED to develop isn’t fully understood, but researchers believe that proteins in your eye tissue that are similar to proteins from your thyroid gland are mistakenly attacked by antibodies, causing inflammatory symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Besides the association with thyroid disorders like Graves’ disease, TED is linked to other contributing risk factors. According to<\/span> Jovi Boparai<\/span><\/a>, MD, an ophthalmic surgeon in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and cofounder of<\/span> CorneaCare,<\/span><\/a> the most common risk factors for TED include a genetic propensity to develop the condition, as well as certain lifestyle choices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Specific lifestyle factors that are most likely to trigger TED are smoking—or exposure to secondhand smoke—and stress. “The more a person smokes or the more a person experiences stress, the higher the risk for TED in the setting of Graves’ disease,” says Dr. Boparai. “In fact, both smoking and stress can serve as triggers to activate TED.” Additionally, people undergoing radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism may experience TED as a side effect of treatment, according to Dr. Boparai, and this risk increases if they are smokers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cutting back on smoking and reducing your stress levels is an important preventive measure to take to reduce your chances of developing TED, especially if you have other known risk factors, such as Graves’ disease, or you have a genetic predisposition (i.e., TED runs in your family).<\/span><\/p>\n

Who is affected by thyroid eye disease?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Thyroid eye disease is a rare condition, and most people will not develop it in their lifetime. Although the precise prevalence is unknown, it’s estimated that the condition affects about<\/span> 16 out of every 100,000 people, or 0.16%.<\/span><\/a> The same study found that the condition is more likely to affect women, with 22 out of every 100,000 women affected but only 7 out of every 100,0000 men. At the same time, the condition is known to affect men more severely than women.<\/span><\/p>\n

The condition affects middle-aged people the most, with the condition most prominent among people aged 35-59. “TED occurs most frequently in middle-age women with a personal family history of thyroid disease, but may occur at any age in any sex,” Dr. Krauss says. “Although all races, ethnicities, and nationalities are affected, there is a higher incidence in<\/span> Blacks and Asians<\/span><\/a> than in other races.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, TED is highest among people currently smoking as opposed to former smokers or people who have never smoked, highlighting the important role that smoking plays in the development of the condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thyroid eye disease symptoms<\/span><\/h2>\n

TED causes inflammation of the eye tissues that can be uncomfortable, painful, and distressing. Vision changes are also common. Both eyes are usually affected, though you may only experience symptoms in one eye. Although symptoms vary from one individual to another, some of the most<\/span> common symptoms of TED are<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n