Your personal health guide for Thyroid Eye Disease

Get instant, personalized answers to your questions about thyroid eye disease thanks to our AI guide accessing answers from top medical sources, research, and real patient experiences.

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What is Thyroid Eye Disease

Thyroid Eye Disease (TED), also known as endocrine orbitopathy, is an inflammatory condition affecting the tissues around the eyes, often linked to thyroid disorders. Depending on the severity, treatment may involve conservative approaches or surgical intervention.

Thyroid dysfunction, particularly autoimmune conditions, can lead to various eye-related symptoms collectively referred to as Thyroid Eye Disease (TED). These symptoms arise when inflammation occurs in the eye socket, affecting muscles, connective tissue, and fatty tissue.

In 90-95% of cases, TED is associated with Graves' disease, an autoimmune thyroid condition that causes hyperthyroidism.In 3-5% of cases, TED can occur with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a condition leading to hypothyroidism.

Inflammation triggered by autoimmune thyroid diseases results in:

Fluid retention: Causes swelling in soft tissues around the eyes.
Tissue growth: Leads to an increase in connective and fatty tissues in the eye socket.
Eye protrusion: The swelling and tissue expansion push the eyeball forward, resulting in the characteristic bulging appearance.

By understanding the connection between thyroid diseases and TED, patients and healthcare providers can identify the condition early and explore treatment options tailored to the severity of the symptoms.

Most common symptoms

Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) is often characterized by protruding eyes, along with swelling and redness around the eyelids and conjunctiva. These hallmark symptoms can significantly impact daily life and comfort.

The most common symptoms are:

  1. Dryness and Irritation:
    • Many patients report a gritty or foreign body sensation in the eyes.
    • Dryness and redness are common complaints.
  2. Pain and Pressure:
    • Eye movement can be painful, and a constant feeling of pressure on the eyes may develop.
  3. Restricted Mobility:
    • Limited eye movement can result in difficulty focusing and discomfort.
  4. Double Vision:
    • Double vision (diplopia) can be especially frustrating and impair visual clarity.

Complications: In rare cases, swelling, and pressure within the eye socket can damage the optic nerve. This may result in reduced vision or, in extreme cases, permanent vision loss if left untreated. Recognizing these symptoms early and seeking medical intervention can help manage TED and prevent potential complications like optic nerve damage.

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How can mama health help

We're building the world's largest database of patient experiences and solutions to support patients with thyroid eye disease. Our collection goes beyond statistics, encompassing valuable coping mechanisms and strategies to prevent triggers and symptoms.

The more you share, the more personalized our service becomes. You'll have the opportunity to receive tailored answers to all your questions about thyroid eye disease, based on your specific case. This approach ensures you receive the most applicable and helpful information for your unique situation. By contributing your experience, you're not only helping yourself, but also aiding others in their journey with thyroid eye disease.

With mama health, you can

1

Share your story about your experience with thyroid eye disease. Share your symptoms, treatments tried, and what has or hasn’t worked. Our chat is programmed to listen to your full experience and capture all the relevant information to be able to personalize your experience and serve you best.



2

Get personalized answers to your questions (beta). Once you’ve told your story, the system will be able to instantly answer your questions about the disease in a precise and personalized manner, saving you tons of hours of research through irrelevant online content.

Our system provides relevant responses by drawing from:

  1. A comprehensive body of medical research
  2. Vetted, authoritative sources
  3. Real experiences of other patients
3

Access the biggest dataset of patient experiences to compare yourself and learn from others what’s working best for other patients like you. This information goes beyond statistics, including valuable coping mechanisms and strategies to prevent triggers and symptoms.


Please note that what others report may not be suitable or effective for your individual case. Always consult with your healthcare provider for medical advice and before making any changes to your care plan.

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Please note that the information provided on Mama Health is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before taking decisions on your health.

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