There is an autoimmune condition that would affect the eyes but it is actually associated with thyroid. It is thyroid eye disease or TED. It is also called Graves Ophthalmopathy. Various symptoms associated with TED are upper eyelid retraction, swelling, lid lag, conjunctivitis, bulging eyes plus others like dull colour vision, eye movement difficulty, etc. These symptoms would be present for 1 to 2years after which these symptoms disappear. Bitter fact is that in rare cases the swelling around the eyes could press the optic nerve and this could result in loss of vision or eyesight.
It is noteworthy that TED can occur in 16 out of one lakh women and 3 out of one lakh men. It must be taken into account that about 3% to 5% could get have severe TED in them
Reasons for TED:
Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke would increase the chances of TED. Family history, poor thyroid control and radioiodine therapy etc can also cause TED in us
Foods to avoid with TED:
There are certain foods that we must avoid if we have TED and the foods are sugary foods, processed foods, fried foods, high sodium foods, refined foods etc.
How is TED diagnosed?
It is noteworthy that blood tests are carried out for diagnosing TED. The blood tests would measure TSR receptor antibodies. In addition, CT scan and MRI are also taken to access swelling and optic nerves.
How is TED treated?
It is worth mentioning that mild TED cases would need artificial tears. Corticosteroids, radiation or surgery are carried out for mild to severe cases of TED. Though an eye doctor would be able to diagnose TED but only an endocrinologist could prevent TED from spreading.
