How will I know if I have thyroid Eye Disease?

With muscle enlargement the globe (eyeball) is pushed forward leading to the characteristic “stare.” In addition, the muscles become stiff and the upper lid tends to retract, pulling away from the colored portion of the eye. The eyes may become red due to difficulty closing as well as increased prominence of the blood vessels. This often results in double vision with one image seen on top of the other. If the muscles get large enough, they may press on the optic nerve causing damage to the nerve.

This dysfunction within the optic nerve, which transmits information from the eye to the brain, results in decreased vision. This, fortunately, occurs only in about 5% of the patients with thyroid orbitopathy and may be reversible if the pressure on the optic nerve is relieved.