There are many factors which can affect our eyesight, but we’ll bet the thyroid doesn’t come to mind first. If you already didn’t know, the thyroid can actually be responsible for eye diseases.
The thyroid’s main responsibility is to regulate and produce hormones. When the thyroid is healthy and there are normal hormone levels in the blood, this is referred to as euthyroid. If there is a problem with the thyroid it can either produce too many hormones or too few; these conditions are referred to as hyperthyroid or hypothyroid. When a malfunction occurs with the thyroid it can lead to the onset of a thyroid eye disease.
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One in five people will suffer from a thyroid eye disease and women are more likely to develop them than men. Thyroid eye disease is commonly seen in individuals with a hyperthyroid as opposed to a hypothyroid. Lastly, thyroid eye disease is seven times more likely to develop in smokers than non-smokers.
Causes and symptoms
Thyroid eye disease causes are still unknown, but it is thought they are caused by an abnormal immune response which targets healthy eye tissues. This can lead to inflammation of the eye which can result in something like a permanent stare.
Symptoms of thyroid eye disease are:
- Redness of the eye
- Swelling, watery eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Retraction of the eyelid
- Protruding eyes
- Dry eye
- Blurry vision
- Double vision
- Limited eye movement
Treatment and prevention of thyroid eye disease
To treat thyroid eye disease the goal is to treat the symptoms. Treatment of thyroid eye disease may include:
- Liquid tears to combat dry eyes
- Ointments, eye patches or even tape to close the eyelid if they do not close at night
- Night time head elevation if swelling occurs in the evening
- Wearing specific glasses to treat blurry or double vision
- Steroid or steroid-like medication to combat worsening vision
Because the cause is unknown for thyroid eye disease there are no suggested prevention methods. Ensure as you age that you get your thyroid checked out and treat conditions like hyperthyroid or hypothyroid.
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Sources:
http://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/105
http://www.yourhormones.info/endocrine_conditions/thyroid_eye_disease.aspx
https://www.kirkeyecenter.com/patient-education/thyroid-eye-disorders/
http://www.btf-thyroid.org/index.php/thyroid/leaflets/thyroid-eye-disease-guide
http://patient.info/health/thyroid-eye-disease-leaflet
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/thyroid_eye_disease
