Thyroid Eye Disease (Grave’s Disease)

The thyroid gland is an organ located at the base of the neck and aims to produce, secrete and store thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) in the blood.

Thyroid eye disease is an autoimmune disease in which the adipose tissue surrounding the eyes is destroyed and tear secretion is reduced.

Its symptoms are: dry eye, redness of the eyes, swelling of the upper and lower eyelid, exophthalmos with obvious prolapse of the eyes outwards and more rarely diplopia during lateral eye movements and discomfort from bright light. At an advanced stage, edema can press on the optic nerve, reducing vision and altering the visual field.

The disease is more common in women as well as smokers, who are five times more likely to get sick.

The use of artificial tears in mild forms and prismatic glasses, when there is intense diplopia, help to overcome the annoying symptoms.