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Thyroid eye disease (TED) is a condition that impacts both your eyes and your eyelids. It causes you to experience severe discomfort with red and swollen eyes as the muscles, tear glands, and eyelids become inflamed. One visible symptom that can develop is what's known as bulging eyes, which occurs when the eyes are pushed forward due to the swelling. And, unfortunately, when one eye is suffering from thyroid eye disease, the other one usually is too.
It is common for a few signs of thyroid eyes to be dismissed as someone just being tired. And while they may very well be tired, there may be an underlying cause, such as an autoimmune disorder - and it is imperative that you find that root cause. Below is a list of the most common signs of thyroid eyes.
If you experience any of these signs it is important that you reach out to your health care professional to determine the next steps you need to take.
When your body's immune system doesn't function properly, one of the main issues that present itself is inflammation. With thyroid eyes, it is inflammation of the tissue and muscles around your eyes that cause them to look puffy. Our immune system's job is to protect us from abnormal cells. However, when your immune system isn’t functioning properly, such as with an autoimmune disorder, it isn’t protecting you from germs that can ultimately make you sick. Further, having thyroid eye disease puts your body in self-destruct mode. It mistakes your own body tissue around and in your eyes as foreign. So, your immune system sends out signals or cells, which are called antibodies. These antibodies then attack the tissue in and around your eye, including the fat and the muscle surrounding it. More often than not, this condition occurs when you have too much of the thyroid hormone, which is known as hyperthyroidism. This is less common in individuals who have an underactive thyroid, also known as hypothyroidism. With thyroid eyes, you may even start to notice some of the symptoms start to show up after you have received treatment for your thyroid. It’s important to consult your health care professional immediately so they can direct you as to how to move forward with a treatment plan.
To learn more about healing your thyroid naturally with Dr. Randy Hansbrough and his team, call the office at (772) 287-7701 to schedule an appointment. Or sign up for a free, 30-minute consultation.
