Thyroid Eye Disease Symptoms
Thyroid eye disease may occur in patients who already know they have thyroid disease, or sometimes it's the first problem that brings the person to the doctor's office. The symptoms that occur in thyroid eye disease include dry eyes, watery eyes, red eyes, bulging eyes, a "stare," double vision, difficulty closing the eyes, and problems with vision. Thyroid eye disease can affect many different parts of the eye and surrounding tissues. Inflamed lacrimal glands may cause wet eyes or dry eyes, and these can both happen in the same patient at different times.
Some specific symptoms include:
Redness and pain
Bulging of the eyes
Increased pressure inside the eye socket
Dry eye and irritation
Dislike of bright lights
Eyelids are pulled back or retracted
Eyes look crossed or misaligned
Vision becomes out of focus or blurry
TED is a vision-threatening condition that can get worse over time. It is recommended to get treatment for TED as early as possible to prevent serious eye damage. Treatment for mild TED usually begins with the use of eye drops and an eye ointment to lubricate the eyes and prevent corneal ulcers. High eye pressure can be treated with the same eye drops that are used to lower pressure in glaucoma. Another mainstream treatment used in moderate and severe cases of TED to help to reduce the inflammation in the orbital tissue, is orbital radiotherapy. This is used to treat active cases of TED by destroying the white blood cells infiltrating the tissue around the eyeballs. TEPEZZA is an IV (intravenous) medicine. This means it is delivered through a needle that is placed in your arm. IV medicines like TEPEZZA are most often given by registered nurses (RNs), nurse practitioners (NPs), or another medical professional. The process of delivering an intravenous, or "IV", medicine is called an infusion.