Monday, 14 October 2013

Graves’ Disease and Thyroid Associated Ophtahalmopathy (TAO)



Graves’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that leads to an overactive thyroid gland AKA hyperthyroidism. When Grave’s disease affects the eyes, the condition is known as Thyroid Associated Ophthalmopathy (TAO) or thyroid eye disease. Graves’ disease usually appears before age 40.

Too much thyroid hormone along with circulating antibodies may cause the soft tissues and muscles that surround the eye to swell. When structures start swelling within the enclosed space of the orbit, the eyes protrude or bulge. This may lead to problems moving the eyes, often resulting in double vision, one of the more common signs of thyroid ophthalmopathy.

It causes wide-ranging symptoms, some of which are related to the eye. A few Graves’ disease symptoms which don’t have any connection with the eye include Anxiety, Irritability, Difficulty sleeping, Fatigue.

Graves’ disease can affect the eyes in multiple ways like eyelid retraction, eye protrusion, dryeye, double vision, and eye bags etc.

For more details Graves’ disease and TAO you should read the original article published on getsmarteye.org  published by The Eye M.D Association, American Academy of Ophthalmology.

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