Many people want to have a pair of big, bright and attractive eyes, but there is a kind of “big and protruding” eyes that should be paid attention to. It is not only unrelated to beauty but also causes troubles, because Abnormal “protruding eyes” is also a common external feature of “thyroid-related ophthalmopathy patients”.
01. What is thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy?
Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, also known as Graves ophthalmopathy, commonly known as “hyperthyroid exophthalmos “, is a kind of chronic, multi-system damage disease caused by autoimmune reaction, which is closely related to abnormal thyroid function.
02. What are the hazards?
Thyroid-associated eye disease is an autoimmune disease that poses a potential threat to vision. When the immune function of the human body is abnormal, the fat and muscles in the eyes will swell. The space in the eye is limited, and these swollen fat and muscles will compress the eyeball and optic nerve, causing exophthalmos, eye movement disorders, diplopia (double vision when seeing things), and vision loss.
If “thyroid-related eye disease” is not treated in time, the eyeball muscle damage caused by it cannot be repaired. Long-term exposure of the cornea to the air may cause exposure keratitis and even corneal ulcers.
● What’s more serious is that if the swollen eye muscles and fat press the optic nerve for a long time, it can cause optic nerve atrophy and affect vision.
Common Misunderstanding 1
Q: Only hyperthyroidism can cause thyroid-associated eye disease?
A: In fact, in addition to hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism (i.e. hypothyroidism) may also cause thyroid-related eye disease. There are also some patients with eye disease, thyroid endocrine abnormalities are not found.
Common Misunderstanding 2
Q: After the thyroid disease is cured, the symptoms of exophthalmos can be recovered?
A: Thyroid disease and thyroid-associated eye disease are two different diseases. For the treatment of thyroid disease, the level of thyroxine can be controlled to stabilize, which is a basic step for thyroid-related ophthalmopathy, but for the symptoms of protruding eyes, ophthalmologists need symptomatic treatment.
Common Misunderstanding 3
Q: Can the treatment of thyroid disease and thyroid-related eye disease be carried out at the same time?
A: Not necessarily. The basis of treatment for thyroid-related eye disease is to control thyroid function.
If surgical treatment of exophthalmos is required, the thyroid function must be controlled within the normal range before surgery can be performed.
So when there is eye pain, rapid vision loss, eyelid retraction, proptosis, eye movement If you have symptoms such as limitation, you must go to the hospital for treatment in time to avoid delaying the treatment.