Eye Disease

Thyroid Eye Disease is an inflammatory condition which affects the orbital contents including the extraocular muscles and orbital fat. It is almost always associated with Graves' disease (GD) but may rarely be seen in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, primary hypothyroidism, or thyroid cancer. The ocular manifestations of TED include soft tissue inflammation, eyelid retraction, proptosis, corneal exposure, and optic nerve compression. The signs and symptoms of the disease are characteristic. These include lid retraction, lid lag, and a delay in the downward excursion of the upper eyelid in down gaze that is specific to TED.

Thyroid eye disease affects approximately 1 million people in USA and Canada and 250,000 people in the UK. Although blindness is a dreaded complication, fortunately only a small minority of patients require surgery or other medical treatment to protect their vision. The majority of patients with thyroid eye disease however appear to suffer silently trying to come to terms with the facial disfigurement that is caused by the disease. It is particularly unkind, distorting the most expressive, vivid and ageless feature of the face, the eyes.

Many patients with thyroid eye disease are unable to face the world, they don't want to look at the mirror any more and avoid social contacts as much as they can. Relationships break down, jobs are lost, depression sets in and life changes for the worse. These people are really desperate, they lost a hope that will ever get better and the consequences in their everyday life are severe.

Significant advances in the medical and surgical treatment of thyroid eye disease have been achieved over the last few years. However the psychological and social aspects of the disease are largely neglected. Recent studies show that patients with moderate to severe Graves ophthalmopathyhave significant mood disturbance, especially when disfiguringsigns are predominant.

The choices now-a-days, available for treating Thyroid Eye Disease and it's symptoms like bulging eyes, double vision, and protruded eyes can be summarized as follows:

1. Cold compress on your eyes
2. Elevating head to relieve swelling
3. Flax seed oil
4. Lubrication eye drops (avoid the one that are treating red eyes)
5. Lubrication ointments
6. Exercises to strengthen the eye muscles
7. Humidifiers in your room
8. Wear good sunglasses that are really protecting your eyes
9. Corrective surgery to loosen the eyelids
10. Decompression surgery
11. Steroids and prisms (to correct double vision)

There are a lot of reports showing that Flax Seed oil can help your Thyroid Eye Disease and you can see results in 1 or 2 weeks, especially if you have mild TED symptoms.

Also different eye exercises can be used to help Thyroid Eye Disease symptoms- most of them are very easy to implement and does not require any special settings.

Some researches show that after Radioactive Iodine Treatment (RAI), in 90% of the cases your eyes can get worse, especially if the patients weren't given any steroid tablets -prednisolone before and after their radioiodine treatment. Have in mind that eye problems can occur before, during, and after problems with the thyroid gland have been diagnosed and treated.