The growth or swelling of tissues behind your eye may limit your ability to move it. This may lead to what's known as strabismus — misaligned eyes that look in different directions. It can cause double vision.
Treatments for inflammation may help reduce eye misalignment during the active phase of thyroid eye disease, but sometimes, surgery is needed to treat it.
Thyroid eye disease can cause the fat and muscle behind your eye to grow bigger or swell, which increases pressure in your eye socket. This may push your eye forward and cause proptosis, which is eye protrusion or bulging.
Treatments for inflammation may help limit or reduce eye protrusion during the active phase of thyroid eye disease. Sometimes, surgery is needed to correct it.
Eye discomfort
Thyroid eye disease can cause vision loss and changes, such as light sensitivity, blurred vision, double vision, reduced peripheral vision, or changes in how you see colors or the contrast between light and dark.
Contact your doctor right away if you notice vision changes. These changes might be a sign of severe inflammation, optic nerve damage, or other problems that need prompt treatment. Your doctor might prescribe high doses of corticosteroids, orbital radiotherapy, or surgery. Sometimes, prescription eyeglasses may help.
Thyroid eye disease involves inflammation in your eye, which may cause discomfort, a feeling of grittiness, redness, swelling, dryness, or watering.
Your doctor may prescribe medication or radiation therapy to reduce eye inflammation. They may encourage you to take selenium supplements. Lubricating eye drops (artificial tears), gels, or ointments may also ease some symptoms.
Eyelid retraction
Eye protrusion
Eye misalignment
Vision changes
Need for surgery
Orbital decompression: A surgeon removes some of the fat and bone around your eye to reduce pressure in your eye socket. This may help prevent optic nerve damage, reduce eye protrusion or misalignment, and help your eye move more easily.
Thyroid Eye Disease
Condition Progression Guide
Up to 74% of people with thyroid eye disease have eyelid retraction, which happens when your upper or lower eyelid pulls away from your eye. It can make it difficult to close your eyes fully and may cause eye dryness.
Your doctor may recommend botulinum toxin type A (Botox) injections, corticosteroid injections, or surgery to treat eyelid retraction. If you have difficulty closing your eyelids while you sleep, wearing eye shields or elevating the head of your bed may help.
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Thyroid eye disease may cause changes to your vision or eyes, which may continue after the active phase of the disease. Your doctor might recommend one or more of the following types of surgery to correct vision or eye changes:
Muscle surgery: A surgeon repositions some of the muscles that control eye movements to help correct eye misalignment and double vision or allow your eye to move more easily.
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Eyelid surgery: A surgeon adjusts the position of your eyelid and may remove some of the fat to treat eyelid retraction.
